


Blue is a Sleepy Colour

by teapods



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Diamond Authority - Freeform, Fluff and Humor, Mommy Issues, Momswap, Other, bluesteven, slowupdatesbecauselifesucks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-02-24 18:01:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 71,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22002112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teapods/pseuds/teapods
Summary: Blue, the littlest diamond, fled to Earth disguised as a Lapis Lazuli and created new life. This is the story of how her son learns of his heritage, and the heartache that comes with it.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 172
Kudos: 236





	1. Blue Boy

Connie was proud of herself for choosing such a nice spot to read. Usually people tried to avoid the beach due to the 'strange magical women' that lived in the temple. However Connie decided it was ridiculous to assume that these people were strange. She'd seen them around town before, and they seemed like perfectly nice ladies.

She had placed herself underneath the overhang of the cliff in an attempt to shield herself from the sun's hammering heat. Once comfortably in the soft sand, she delved into her book. It lasted for like ten minutes.

"Excuse me, miss?"

The voice came from in front of her, and Connie fought back a shiver at how sweet and gentle it sounded. She begrudgingly looked up from her book, and saw a teenage boy stood sheepishly. He had floppy black curls and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Her eyes landed on what looked like a blue gemstone embedded in his chest. Weird. He stood just taller than her, his thin frame slightly hunched.

"I just wanted to tell you that I don't think it's too safe for you to be sat there. This spot has a history of crushing people with falling boulders." He smiled quietly, and Connie blushed.   
"Oh, yeah, thanks! I'll keep it in mind."

He nodded and turned, ready to walk away. Connie hesitated. This boy interested her. He seemed like a gentle soul, and that gemstone raised more than a few questions.

...And he was cute.

"Hey!" She called out, and he quickly turned around with a raised brow. "What's your name?"   
She smiled at the blush that blossomed on his cheeks.   
"Oh! My name's Steven. I live in the temple, just round there." Steven pointed at the ginormous stone sculpture that overlooked the beach, carved into the mountainside. Connie stood up and tucked her book under her arm.   
"I'm Connie. I live in town. I was just coming here to find a quiet place to read."

"I understand. The beach is really peaceful. What're you reading?"   
"'The Unfamiliar Familiar'. It's like 'The Golden Compass' with a bit of 'Harry Potter' thrown in."

Steven gave her a confused look.   
"I've never heard of any of those."

Connie gave a mockingly shocked gasp.   
"No way! How have you never heard of Harry Potter? It's like the most popular book series in existence."   
Steven laughed.   
"I guess I'm not really much of a bookworm."

Connie couldn't help but want to get to know him better. Steven had some sort of mysterious air to him, and she felt like a moth drawn to a flame. She appreciated his shy smile, and revelled in the aloofness of his manner.

Their conversation was cut short as she heard a crack from above her. Steven must have heard it too, as he looked up with a very startled look on his face. They both stared up, and they both saw the very sizeable shard of debris tumbling towards Connie.

She barely had time to react before she felt herself being swept off of her feet, suddenly feeling herself gliding through the air in a pair of lean arms. For the first few moments, it was a blur of rocks crashing, strong winds, and a blue light. When she looked up, she couldn't believe it.

Steven, holding her tightly, was floating above the fallen boulder, a pair of stunningly beautiful wings, seemingly made of water, extending from his back elegantly. He drifted down and gently placed her back onto her feet.

He turned to look at her, a worried expression on his face. The light of the sun reflected off of his wings, perfectly accenting his features in a striking blue hue. His hair appeared to float around him as if he were underwater, and his blue eyes seemed to glisten like diamonds. Connie thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"Are you okay?"

She snapped from her trance.   
"Oh! Oh, yeah, I'm... I'm fine. Thank you."   
His wings retreated into his back as he grinned sheepishly.   
"I'd assume you have some questions..."   
"So many."

The next thirty minutes were spent sat in the sand, Steven trying to explain what gems were in as much detail as he could. Connie listened intently, every piece of information intriguing her even more.

She didn't realise how complicated the temple's past really was, and the connotations it had. The Temple of Obsidian had been there for as long as she could remember, overlooking the shore like a protective guardian.

She learned of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, and how they lived with Steven in the small beach house built into the temple's entrance. She learned of how they lived for thousands of years, and she learned of Steven's hybrid status among the gems.

She learned of fusion, corruption, teleportation, and things she couldn't begin to comprehend. Despite this, Steven still stood as an icon of mystery to her. Despite the prolonged explanation, she wanted more detail from the hybrid himself. She wanted to get to know him over more than just a conversation.

For years, her only friends were books. Could Steven be the one to change that? She had learned to live independently for fourteen years of life, not relying on friends or acquaintances. Her parents had made sure of that. Not that she minded, at this point that's just what life was.

She pondered if this boy's stickler life was the thing that attracted her so much- the action, adventure, and anything differing from her painfully normal, boring life.

"That's... a lot." She tried to summarise her opinion. Steven rubbed the back of his neck timidly.   
"Yeah I guess it is... it's pretty normal for me, considering it's what I grew up with. I'll be honest though, it's actually kind of a mystery to me too. The gems don't really reveal a lot to me, so I'm pretty clueless most of the time."

Connie giggled.   
"You have to admit, it is pretty cool."

Steven smiled.

"Yeah. I guess it is."

***   
Two years ago...

"How is this going to help me use my powers exactly?" Steven looked over the edge of the cliff worriedly. Garnet crossed her arms.   
"Well the first time we saw your wings was in a life or death situation. So if we put you in that situation again, your powers should kick in."

Steven glanced at her sceptically.   
"I seriously doubt this..." he looked over the edge again, wincing slightly at the sight of the ground hundreds of feet below them. There was no surviving that fall. Unfortunately, Garnet had other plans.

Before he knew what was happening, he toppled over the edge as a harsh shove pushed him forward.   
"GARNEEEEEEEEEET!" He screamed, falling rapidly through the air, plummeting towards his doom faster than he could comprehend.   
"You'll be fine, just fly back up." He glanced to his left to see Garnet falling beside him, looking as calm as ever. Steven shut his eyes tight, desperately trying to concentrate on his wings. Nothing. His eye opened a crack, and he began to panic as he saw how close the ground was getting.

"I can't! Garnet you've got to get us out of here!"   
"You can do it, Steven."   
"Noooo, I'm very sure I can't! GARNET WE'RE GETTING AWFULLY CLOSE?!"

Garnet sighed. In one swift movement, she swept Steven up in her arms and landed on the ground with a colossal thump, leaving a small crater in the dirt. She placed a frazzled Steven onto the floor.

He placed a trembling hand in his ruffled hair and exhaled.   
"Let's never do that again."

"We'll see."


	2. Giant Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie discovers fusion.

Connie sat on the beach beside Steven, watching as Pearl and Amethyst set up the volleyball net. The morning sun set a warm glow on the four of them as they relaxed in its gentle heat.   
"Steven?"   
He looked up as Pearl called his name.   
"Yeah?"   
"Think you could help out? Amethyst and I can't quite reach the top of the pole to hang the net on."

He nodded and stood. It took her a moment, but Connie realised what was going to happen and sat up straight excitedly.   
"Wait are you going to use your powers again?!" She looked up at him beaming. He laughed.   
"Yeah, what of it?"   
"You rarely use them around me! And you know I think they're awesome."   
"Huh, I guess I never really thought about it. I just kind of use them when I need to."

He walked over to Amethyst and Pearl and picked up the end of the rope. Connie stared in awe as two beautiful wings extended from his back, flapping gracefully as he lifted himself into the air, tying the rope around the top of the pole. He glided to the other pole and tied the other end of the net.

"Hey Ste-man, I'll play you for half of your lunch tomorrow." Amethyst leaned up against the pole as Steven landed on the side of the net facing the ocean.   
"Amethyst, you really want to play me?" He smirked cockily. Connie looked at the pair quizzically.   
"You're on, blue boy." The quartz replied with confidence. Amethyst picked up the ball and squeezed it menacingly.   
"You two are so childish..." Pearl muttered.

Amethyst was about to throw it when she felt the wind pick up. The ocean behind Steven grew taller, until an enormous arm built of water rose from its depth, leering over her as Steven smiled confidently.   
"Still want that game, Amethyst?"   
Amethyst grumbled in annoyance and slammed the ball down onto the ground.   
"No fair! No powers allowed!"   
Steven chuckled as the arm retreated back into the water.

"Steven."

He glanced at Connie's star-struck face and smiled awkwardly.   
"Would it be weird to say I'm your biggest fan?" She asked as his face flushed pink. He laughed with a stammer.

"Okay, you beat me at volleyball, but you can't beat me at target practice." Amethyst placed her hands on her hips.   
"I can totally beat you at target practice. I'll have you know I've been practicing." He scoffed in reply.   
"Okay... maybe you can beat me... but not Opal."   
Steven squinted at her.   
"How come you get to fuse to beat me but I'm not allowed to use my powers?"   
"Because you're stupidly powerful for a teenager. What do ya say, Pearl? Let's kick some Lapis butt?"

Pearl rolled her eyes.   
"No, Opal is only for emergencies. Not some silly competition!"   
Connie perked up.   
"Hold on, who's Opal?"   
"Amethyst and Pearl fuse into giant but graceful war machine." Replied Steven. Connie gasped.  
"That sounds amazing! Can I see?"   
"Sorry Connie, but as I said, it's only for emergencies. Amethyst and I only fuse when necessary." Pearl lectured as Amethyst imitated her behind her back, causing the teens to giggle uncontrollably.

"Well then what can you tell me about her?" Asked Connie. Steven clapped his hands together.   
"Ohohoho, do I have the story for you."

***   
Two years ago...

"Garnet's back!"   
Steven rushed inside the beach house when he spotted the light of the warp pad, Pearl and Amethyst trailing behind him.   
"Hello Steven." Garnet ruffled his hair.   
"You find anything interesting on your mission?"   
Garnet handed him a stone.  
"Cool, a rock! Thanks, Garnet!" He rushed off to put it in his room.

"Well?" Pearl asked.   
"I have a task for you. We need to retrieve the Heaven and Earth beetles."   
"Well I'm gonna go with not Pearl." Amethyst sassed as Steven came back down the stairs. Pearl scoffed.   
"I'd prefer to go with more grammatically correct people, actually."   
"No. You three are going to get the Heaven beetle in the old temple. It should be at the top of the spire." Garnet instructed.   
"I like this plan!" Steven grinned excitedly.

"Ugh, come on." Pearl groaned. "Why can't I get the Earth beetle?"   
"Because it's at the bottom of a lava pit, and only I can swim in lava. So stop complaining and we'll see each other in a few hours." Garnet deadpanned.   
Steven was already on the warp pad.   
"Come on guys, no time to lose! And this is the perfect opportunity for you guys to finally show me Opal!"   
"Doubt it, pal." Amethyst muttered as she activated the warp pad.

They arrived at the bottom of the temple spire and begrudgingly began to climb the stairs, Steven complaining about the lengthy climb. They arrived at the top at the beginning of a trail of floating island, sighing disappointedly as they saw more stairs on the other side.   
"How do we get to the other side?" Steven asked.   
Amethyst swiftly picked him up and held him over the edge.   
"I just throw you! And maybe we'll finally get to see those wings of yours!"   
"NOOO AMETHYST GARNET ALREADY TRIED AND IT DIDN'T WORK!" Steven panicked and kicked himself out of her grip.   
"Fine, party pooper."

They jumped across, Steven being extra cautious as to try and not repeat the events of his little escapade with Garnet. They began to climb the second set of stairs, and finally reached the top. It had a large building on top, the walls engraved with ancient runes. Outside there was a tiny little temple, just beetle sized. Pearl peered inside.   
"It's not here. The beetle isn't here!"   
Steven looked inside too and marvelled at the minuscule appliances. Pearl began to pace.   
"The beetle isn't here! Where could it have gone?! It could be anywhere!"

Amethyst rolled her eyes as she leant up against the building wall.   
"Yeah, because freaking out is gonna help up find it faster."   
Pearl marched over to her, her cheeks tinted red with rage.   
"Oh, really?! You're just slouching around, like you're doing so much!"   
They growled at each other, glaring heatedly. Steven pulled them apart.   
"Come on guys, quit fighting!"

Suddenly, a ginormous bird creature emerged from the waterfall below them, screeching aggressively and batting its wings menacingly. The three rushed inside in a panic.   
"Okay now would be a great time to have a giant woman with super powers!" Steven shouted, huddling behind them. Pearl and Amethyst nodded to each other in agreement, and prepared their dance stances.

Pearl began to dance gracefully, every step and movement choreographed and executed to perfection. Her eye cracked open to see Amethyst dancing to her own beat with irritatingly erotic movements.   
"Oh, brother..." She grumbled under her breath. Amethyst grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards her, her elbow accidentally slamming into her cheek. Steven watched in amazement as their bodies combined into a white light, their form growing taller until it split apart suddenly, the two of them crashing to the ground.

"Wanna try that again, with less hitting me in the face this time?" Amethyst said sarcastically. Pearl frowned.   
"Well if your movements weren't so... funky, then maybe it would've worked!"   
They glared at each other.

Steven groaned in annoyance.   
"Gosh, what is it going to take for you guys to get along?!" He threw his arms up dramatically. "This is a life or death situation guys! I might get eaten by a giant bird!"

As if on cue, its beak destroyed the roof just above Steven, swallowing him whole.   
"Steven!" The pair cried out in unison.

Before he knew what was happening, Steven found himself (quite literally) in the belly of the beast. He glanced around, seeing bones and abandoned weapons lying around. His eye stopped on a small golden object behind a goat skull. He reached forward and gasped as he realised what it was.   
"The Heaven beetle!" He snatched it into his grip and tucked it into the pocket of his hoodie.

He began glancing around for an exit, his heart sinking as he saw none. Before he could even react, a long white arm punched itself into the belly beside him and began to feel around. Panicking, he tried to manoeuvre himself away from it before feeling himself being grabbed by a second arm.

The bird exploded into azure shards, and he found himself in the arms of a tall, beautiful woman.   
"Opal?"   
Before he could get a proper look at her however, she was sprinting down the steps, being chased by hundreds of smaller, but equally vicious, birds.

They found themselves at the bottom of the steps, and the woman hopped across the floating islands with incredible grace and speed. They arrived on the other side and she placed Steven onto the grass gently. Her form stepped forward, a whip and a spear combining to create a gorgeous bow. She reeled the arrow back, aiming at the centre of the flock of terrorising birds.

Steven finally got a good look at her, watching her every move with stars in his eyes. She had Pearl's nose and Amethyst's lips, her long white hair bellowing in the wind as she released the arrow. The creatures exploded into millions of tiny shards, and she turned to reveal hypnotising blue eyes that mirrored Steven's own.

She knelt down and helped him to his feet.   
"Opal? Do you.. know me?" He looked awkward and nervous. Opal laughed. It was a pleasant sound.   
"I guess all it took was being eaten by a bird." She chuckled.

They arrived back at the beach house where Garnet was towelling her hair dry. Opal stood proud behind Steven.   
"I see you managed to fuse after all. The Heaven beetle?"   
Opal gasped. Her body was engulfed in light as Pearl and Amethyst fell apart, tumbling onto the floor.   
"Amethyst! You got distracted!" Pearl accused her.   
"Oh cmon!"

"Guys, it's fine, I have it." Steven pulled the little golden bug from his pocket and handed it to Garnet. Pearl sighed in relief.   
"Well done." Garnet praised as she placed it in a small container with the Earth beetle. "You'll be great at fusion too one day Steven."

"Wait- I can do that too?!"


	3. Lars and the Cool Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lars tries to befriend the coolest kids in town. Steven discovers Lazuli's moss, and the two intertwine.

"This place is creepy..." Steven grimaced as he and the gems looked around the cove. They stood on top of the cove's walls as Steven roamed around the bottom, inspecting the murky water with grim curiosity.   
"What's this stuff?" He extended his hand towards a green moss.

"Steven, don't touch that!" Pearl shouted. Confused, Steven looked back and suddenly realised that the moss was moving. He yelped in surprised horror and quickly summoned his wings and flew to the top with the rest of the gems.   
"What is that stuff?"   
"It's a moss Lazuli planted a while ago. She usually brought it up to the mountain top each spring, but... since she's... gone, it's kind of just sitting here." Pearl explained. Steven stared down at it.   
"Mom planted this?"   
"Yeah we better close this place off before any humans get hurt." Amethyst said.

They met at the entrance of the cove and plastered every surface with police tape until they were satisfied. Pearl, being Pearl, tied a little bow at the front, causing Steven to giggle. 

A few hours later, Steven strolled down the street on his way to the pizzeria to pick up lunch. Imagine his surprise when he saw Lars, of all people leaning against the wall, unconvincingly looking aloof.   
"Uh.. hey, Lars."   
Lars jumped, startled, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Steven.   
"Steven?! What do you want?" He spat his name out venomously. Steven's deadpan look didn't sway him.   
"I'm getting pizza, as one does at a pizzeria. What're you doing here? You work at the Big Donut." 

Lars scoffed and stepped forward, tossing his jacket over his shoulder.   
"I don't spend my whole life at work. I do.. other things."   
Steven leant against the wall, mirroring Lars' stance earlier.   
"Like... stand against this wall?" He laughed.   
"What does it look like?!"   
"Like you're doing a whole lot of nothing."   
"That's the plan, Ste-van. You wouldn't understand, you're a kid."

Steven raised an eyebrow and stared at him incredulously.   
"I'm fifteen. You're what, like two years older than me? Whatever, I'm going in." He turned to head inside when Lars hurriedly stopped him.   
"No, don't go in there!"   
"What's wrong? Who's in there? Is that..." he peered into the glass. "Kiki's sister and her friends?"   
"Jenny, Sour Cream, and Buck Dewey." Lars counted their names on his fingers.   
"Oh. You know them?"   
"Not quite, but I'm sure we'll hang at some point!"   
"Why not just... go in and talk to them?"   
Lars gasped as if Steven had accused him of third degree murder.

"That's not how these things work, Steven! The plan is to keep it cool, and wait for them to come to me." Lars resumed his position of leaning against the wall.   
"Seems like wasted effort if you ask me. I'd just talk to them." He shrugged.

The three stepped out of the shop, and Lars began to hyperventilate.   
"Gahhh! Steven, act natural!" He turned away and calmed his breathing. Steven sighed.   
"I'm gonna go talk to them."   
"No, no no no no, don't!"

Steven ignored him and walked over to the group, introducing himself.   
"Hey, I'm Steven." He raised his hand in greeting with a smile. Each of them high fived him and introduced themselves too.

Lars groaned to himself.   
'Oh God, what is he saying? He's gonna screw everything up! No, why is he pointing?!'  
Steven strolled back over to Lars.   
"Hey-"   
"Hey, Steven!" Lars interrupted him.   
"...okay, well, the guys invited us to go for a ride with them. You in?"   
"No way, you actually-"   
"You coming or not?" 

"Hop on in guys." Jenny said as she unlocked the car and slotted herself in the driver's seat.   
"Cool, middle seat." Steven grinned as he slid in, Buck and Lars sitting on either side.   
"Where'd you get that rad hoodie, Steven?" Buck poked his arm. Steven looked down at his clothes and frowned.   
"I have no idea where any of my clothes come from."

"Well, let's buckle up." He said as he reached for his seatbelt. Lars nudged him harshly.   
"Quite being lame, Steven!" He hissed.   
"Hey, there's nothing lame about safety." Sour Cream replied.   
"This car ain't moving until everyone's strapped in." Said Jenny. Lars reluctantly pulled his belt over his body.

"So, where to everybody?" Jenny quipped as she pulled the car out of its spot and began to drive down the street.   
"How about the Big Donut?" Suggested Steven. The three groaned.   
"That old place?" Buck drawled.   
"But that's where Lars-"   
Lars interrupted him by coughing harshly.   
"Quiet, Steven..." He grit his teeth.   
"Need water? It's my speciality." Replied Steven, unamused.

They drove past Dewey's re-election campaign and slowed down.  
"Hey Buck, isn't that your dad?" Asked Jenny. They all cringed as they watched him plant a kiss on a baby's cheek for publicity.   
"Let's just keep going." Buck rolled his eyes.

"Oh my gosh guys... we should check out Dead Man's Mouth." Jenny creased her eyebrows as she said this.   
"What's that?" Steven leaned forward in his seat.   
"Oh, it's this place where this dude died? Or it looks like a mouth? I forget the specifics." Buck attempted to explain. Steven just shrugged.   
"Dead Man's Mouth, here we come." 

When they arrived at the entrance, it didn't take long for Steven to recognise the place.   
"Uh guys..."   
"Oh, cool!" Jenny looked around in awe. Eager to leave, Steven tugged on Sour Cream's shirt, only to be ignored. He spotted the police tape and sighed in relief. Surely they wouldn't ignore that... right?

His hopes were shot down as Buck tore right through it, the four of them stepping over it and walking straight into the mouth of the cove. Steven panicked slightly and raced in after them.   
"Guys, listen to me! We really should leave!" His voice rose an octave in annoyance from being ignored.   
"Chill out, Steven! Let's go for a swim!" Dismissed Jenny, pulling off her jacket and overshirt, quickly being followed by Sour Cream and Buck. Lars grinned excitedly and hurried to pull off his shirt.

The three dove into the water, and Lars was about to join them when he felt himself being lifted off the ground. He screamed and looked up to see Steven holding onto his arms and hovering above the ground, large beautiful wings of water extending from his back.   
"Lars, don't go in there, it's dangerous!" He warned. Lars yelped and tried to kick himself out of Steven's grip.

"Hey guys look, Steven's got wings!" Jenny pointed up at the sky.   
"Rad!"   
"Cool!"   
Buck and Sour Scream gawked in amazement.

"Steven, put me down! You're blowing this for me!" Lars finally managed to fall out of Steven's hold and land ungracefully onto the ground.   
"No, I am not letting you go in there!" He turned to the swimmers. "You guys should get out right now! The moss is dangerous!"

"The moss?" Sour Cream echoed in disbelief. Before any of them had time to react, the green moss engulfed them, and they all began to shout in panic as they desperately fumbled back to the shore.   
"Steven, what's happening?!" Lars cried, his hands flying to his hair.

"It's this kind of magic moss my mom planted!"   
He spread his wings and flew over the trio, dragging each of them back to shore.   
"Wait, your mom?"   
Steven cried out in terror as the moss attached itself to his foot. By now the moss had completely covered the three of them, despite Steven and Lars trying to pull it off of them.

He gasped as he spotted the mountain top.   
"I know what we need to do! We need to take the moss to the top of the mountain."

"This is all your fault!" Lars stood up, his cheeks pink with anger and an accusing finger pointed at Steven.   
"Excuse me?" Steven raised a brow.   
"I knew that if something went wrong today, it'd be because of you! Now I'm never going to be friends with these guys! All because of your WEIRD MOM!"

His voice echoed throughout the cove. It was immediately followed by silence, apart from his laboured breathing. Lars wished he could swallow his words when he spotted the look of shocked fury on Steven's face as he stood up.   
"What do you know about my mom?" He whispered lowly. "I NEVER EVEN GOT TO KNOW MY MOM!" He shouted, tears threatening to fall.   
"But I know that she saw beauty in everything! Even in this moss, and even in assholes like you!" He accented his rage by giving Lars a hard shove, causing him to topple into the ground.   
"Steven, I-"

"Just shut up and help me get them to the car." 

Although they struggled with the weights of three people, they finally managed to push them into the back seats. Lars looked anxious as he pulled himself into the driver's seat.   
"What's the problem?" Asked Steven.   
"I... I don't know how to drive stick shift." Lars admitted with a blush and a twinge of panic in his voice as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.   
"I'll work the stick, you just keep us on the road til we get to the top of that hill!" Replied Steven without hesitation. Lars nodded in determination and turned the ignition.

The car sped up the steep hill, narrowly avoiding a truck as it continued to climb. It finally reached the top, and Steven and Lars once again struggled to pull everyone out of the car and up the hill. The moss crawled up their bodies like a parasite as they trudged up.  
"Lars, come on, we're almost there!" Steven attempted to encourage. Lars hauled Jenny's body behind him, grunting with effort.

They collapsed as they reached the top, the moss covering their heads.   
"Lars-" Steven's face was engulfed, and he stopped breathing. Lars shed a few tears as he saw this, but would never admit it. The moss engulfed him too.

Silence.

Suddenly, a gentle bloom of light and a sudden intake of air, everyone was freed and dozens of azure flowers floated in the sky, cascading over the edge of the mountain and decorating the stunning view of the city.

"Yo, I think I died..." Sour Cream stood from his spot.   
"Guys, look!" Jenny danced about, laughing as she enjoyed the beauty of the flowers.   
"The view is rad." Buck smiled.

"So they just wanted to bloom..." Steven whispered as Lars awkwardly shuffled over to him.   
"You have to admit, Buck's got a point about the view." Lars grinned. Steven sighed and held his hand out for a high five towards Lars. He just ignored it and rushed Steven in for a tight hug, trying not to cry again. Albeit reluctant, Steven hugged him back.

"You suck."

Steven laughed.


	4. The Galaxy Hub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crystal Gems destroy the Earth's communication hub.

Steven hugged his hoodie tighter around himself as they arrived at the destination the warp had sent them to. He looked up at the most enormous structure he had ever seen.  
"Woah.. what's that?" He asked in awe.   
"Well-" Amethyst started.   
"Oh I'm so glad you asked!" Pearl butted in, leaning over Amethyst with a large smile. She turned and pointed at the tall structure of pillars. "This was once a communication hub for gem kind, but lately, it's been emitting bursts of electromagnetic interferences."

"Like the wailing stone...?" Steven tried.   
"Not quite!"  
"Then what-"   
"It's hurting television." Garnet stated.   
"Kill it now." Steven glared at the structure as Amethyst snickered.

"Don't worry, Strong Steven is the man for this job!" She shapeshifted herself into a muscly version of Steven and began punching the closest pillar, chipping its rock.   
"Hilarious." Steven deadpanned.

"No, no, Amethyst! We'll be here all year taking these pillars down individually!" Pearl spoke up, placing her hands on her hips.   
"Ugh I hate it when you're right." Amethyst changed back into herself and frowned. "You get this... look on your face."

Pearl's eyebrows were hiked up and her mouth twisted into a cocky smile.   
"Ugh.. yeah, that one."   
"What we need, Amethyst, is a well thought out plan. We start with-"   
"No." Garnet stopped Pearl. "What we need, is Sugilite."

"Amethyst. Fuse with me."

Those words sent everyone into a frenzy. Amethyst and Steven celebrated in anticipation and Pearl was just annoyed.   
"Garnet, think about this! You and Amethyst can be a bit... destructive, when your personalities combine. We need to be careful! Fuse with me, instead!" Pearl looked at Garnet with a naive hope in her eyes laced with worry. Steven and Amethyst still screamed in excitement.   
"We don't need to be careful. We just need to be huge." Garnet placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder and walked away.

The pair began to dance, and both Steven and Pearl looked away with a blush at their... suggestive movements. Finally they joined together in a brilliant flash of light, blinding them both.

"Ahahahahaha!"

A screeching laugh echoed across, and Steven's eyes widened at the monstrous beauty that was Sugilite.   
"I forgot how great it feels to be me!" Her voice rang out obnoxiously and Steven winced slightly at its volume. Sugilite bent down and grinned at Steven.   
"Hey Steven, wanna see something cool?"   
"Yeah!"

She stood up straight, her whip and gauntlets combining into the biggest wrecking ball Steven had ever seen. He gasped in excitement.   
"Where should I start, little man?!"   
Steven's wings extended from his back as he flew into the air.   
"Steven!" Pearl shouted.   
He ignored her and pointed at the furthest pillar from him.   
"Start there!"   
"You got it, tiny!"

Steven glided back down to the ground as Sugilite began to swing her colossal weapon, effectively destroying dozens more pillars than intended. Rubble flew everywhere, and Steven struggled to shield himself with his wings.   
"Steven, I think we should go." Pearl held onto his shoulders. Sugilite continued to pummel the pillars to debris, and Pearl narrowly avoided being hit. Steven wasn't so lucky- a rock hit him in the nose as he flew backwards, his wings dissipating into nothing.

"Ugh! You are just too much!" Pearl helped Steven to the warp pad and teleported home. The pad was destroyed by falling debris. 

Steven groaned as he rolled off of his bed. He had barely slept a wink all night, worrying about when Amethyst and Garnet were going to come back. When they got back from the hub he and Pearl had spent the day waiting for them to return but they never did.

"Steven?" Pearl called out from below in the living room.   
"What?" He replied wearily as he trudged down the steps, his nose still sore from the hit he got the day before.   
"Garnet and Amethyst aren't back yet- I tried to warp back there but the warp is down!"   
Steven sobered quickly upon hearing this.   
"Hold on, it's down?! How're they meant to get back?!"

Their question was answered quickly as they heard stomping and water sloshing outside. They rushed outside and saw a very angry giant dragging her body towards the shoreline.   
"I'm bored!"   
She yelled with grit teeth, her fists clenched in aggression.   
"You're back!" Pearl ran over to her.   
"You left me behind!" Sugilite screamed, pointing an accusing finger at the white gem.   
"We- we just thought you didn't need any help." Pearl tried to reason. "So why don't you separate, and we can all sit down and relax- agh!"

Sugilite sent her reeling back into the pathway with a swift kick.   
"Pearl!" Steven cried out.   
"Steven-"   
"I'm on it!"

Steven soared above the furious fusion, his wings glistening in the morning sunlight. Sugilite glared menacingly at his small frame. Unfazed, great arms of water emerged from the ocean, grabbing hold of Sugilite and keeping her still.   
"You've been fused for too long!" He called out. "You're losing yourselves!" He struggled to keep his powers working, and his wings wavered slightly.

Sugilite fumbled about in his watery grip, trying to free herself.   
"I like being me! And I'm sick of being separated!" She screeched, the volume disturbing the water and causing the arms to collapse. Before he could escape, Sugilite smacked him into the ground as if he were nothing more but a mosquito.

Pearl screamed as she saw Steven lying in the sand, his wings laying limply behind him. Her fight or flight response kicked in and she stood up, summoning her spear.   
"What're you gonna do, fight me?" Sugilite taunted.   
"You bet!" She launched herself into the air, slapping the visor off the monster's face.

Steven slowly picked himself up until he was on his stomach, watching the fight propped up on his elbows.   
"I can't move..." He whispered to himself. The situation seemed dire, and he could only watch as Pearl was pummelled by Sugilite.

"You ain't nothin'."

Sugilite's voice sounded like gravel as she jeered at the weak warrior on the ground.   
"I'm sorry, Steven, Garnet, Amethyst... I can't beat her... I'm useless..." Steven's face crumpled at the sound of Pearl's grieving voice.

"Come on Pearl, don't give up!" Steven yelled.   
"Steven, I'm not strong enough!" She retaliated, but Steven wasn't having it.   
"I know you can take her down! Come on, you always know what to do!"   
"I can't..."   
"Pearl, I can't move! You're the only one who can do this! Please, or I'm not gonna make it, and neither are they!"

Pearl looked up and the fusion writhing in anger, then down at the battered Steven lying in the sand.   
"Okay..." She whispered.   
"What, you want some more?!" Sugilite leant down threateningly.  
"Yeah! You're no match for me; not even close!"

Pearl hopped out of the way of Sugilite's fists, landing as elegantly as ever. She summoned her spear and sprinted up the mountain behind the temple, Sugilite following her.  
"Get back here!"   
Pearl leaped off the top of the temple and launched her spear under Sugilite's foot, causing her to fall backwards as she threw her wrecking ball into the air.   
"That all you got? You think that's enough to beat-"

The weight of the wrecking ball crushed her skull as it landed on her head, and the fusion exploded into clouds. Garnet and Amethyst lay on the floor, covered in sand and debris.   
"Garnet, Amethyst, are you okay?!" Pearl sprinted over to them.   
"Yeah..." groaned Garnet. "Sugilite just.. overworked our bodies. It's... a little painful."   
"And I've got a monster headache." Mumbled Amethyst.   
Pearl pulled them in for a tight hug, causing their joints to crack as they moaned in pain.

"Pearl, you did it!" Steven was hobbling over, his face contorting in pain with every laboured step he took.   
"Goodness, are you okay? You took a hard hit." Pearl rushed over to him and helped him stand.   
"We should've listened..." Garnet mumbled. "You were right Pearl."

"Yeah... I was right!" Pearl stood confidently, dropping Steven in the process.   
"Hey Amethyst." He said from his place on the floor.   
"Yeah?"   
"She's doing the face again."

"OH FOR FUC-"


	5. Island Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven decides that Lars and Sadie need a break.

Sadie glanced up from her spot behind the counter as she heard the bell atop the door ring, and a very groggy Steven walked in. She suppressed a giggle at just how utterly defeated he looked.   
"I need a vacation..." he sighed as he leaned onto the counter.  
"Late night, I presume?" Sadie already knew what he was going to order, and began placing two chocolate jelly donuts into a paper bag.   
"I did not sleep at all. Amethyst wants to prove she can beat me in... well, anything- so that means staying up all night battling a very competitive gem." He began to dig in his trouser pocket for some change to pay for his food.

He looked at Lars' sleeping form slouched against the display, feet propped up on the counter and snorted in laughter.   
"What's up with that train-wreck?" He gestured to him. Sadie rolled her eyes.  
"He's just a mess... and I haven't been able to get past him without him yelling at me... so I'm stuck behind the counter for my conceivable future." She huffed.

Steven grinned mischievously as she said this. Sadie gasped when she saw the water from her cup propel upwards, before splashing on Lars' face. With a rather... womanly shriek, Lars jumped out of his seat, furiously wiping the water off of his face.

He glared at the hysterical Steven and Sadie, wiping tears from their eyes in laughter.   
"Oh haha, guys. Laugh it up!" Lars growled.   
"Oh- ohohoho, Steven! That was brilliant!" Sadie slapped her knee.   
"You're welcome." He snickered in reply. Lars grit his teeth.   
"You're a nightmare! Both of you! I can't even sleep without someone pouring a cup of water over my head!" He jammed a finger into Sadie's chest. "You always do this!"   
She frowned and pushed his finger away.   
"You're the one sleeping at work like some lazy bum!"

Steven watched the pair bicker back and forth with a blank stare. He pinched the bridge of his nose as they began to yell louder.   
"Okay!" He interrupted them. "I can tell you're both stressed and in need of a break. So why not join me on my holiday, huh? We can relax on an island, no disturbances, and just forget about everyone and everything for a day." He smiled expectantly.   
"What do ya say?"

Sadie and Lars briefly made eye contact.   
"That... sounds nice. Thanks, Steven." Sadie smiled politely and nudged Lars.  
"Fine! As long as I get to relax, I'm on board." He crossed his arms indignantly. Steven exhaled tiredly.   
"Meet at my place in an hour and I'll teleport us there." 

The bright beam of light dissipated, and Sadie looked around the vegetation excitedly.   
"We're here!" Steven smiled, stepping off of the warp pad. Sadie appreciated his change of attire- instead of his usual dark blue hoodie and sneakers, he wore a tight fitting black shirt and sandals, not to mention the bright grin on his face and the guitar strapped to his back. She always thought he looked sad, so seeing the teen like this was a delightful change of pace.

"Come on, this way!" He walked towards a clearing, pausing when he didn't see Lars and Sadie following.   
"This is way too weird, I'm going home." Lars stated in his usual ignorant fashion.   
"What, come on! You need this, and Heaven knows I do too." Steven reasoned. Sadie beckoned him excitedly.

Lars shoved past her, dragging Steven along with him.   
"Fine but it if blows I'm out of here."   
Sadie grimaced as she lagged behind. 

They reached the forest clearing and Steven gestured to the crystal oceans and white beach.   
"Welcome to paradise, my friends!"   
"Steven!" Sadie exclaimed. "It's beautiful!"   
Lars scoffed. "We live on a beach."   
"Very enthusiastic Lars, thank you." Steven deadpanned. He began to walk away, his face contorted in irritation. This angered Sadie to no end- Steven had finally showed them a more laid back, happy side of him, and Lars felt the need to ruin that by being his usual rage inducing self. She elbowed his side harshly in an attempt to get him to stop. Despite this, he didn't stop.

"Hey Steven, my phone has no reception. Why were you even here? This place sucks." He snapped. Steven scratched his chin.  
"If I remember correctly, we were looking for a dangerous gem creature that we never found. I'm not too worried though." He shrugged.  
"Yup. That's it. I'm gone." Lars turned on his heel and began to walk back to the warp pad.   
"Lars!" Sadie called. "Come on, this could actually be fun!"   
"If I'm going to be bored out of my mind, and possible die, I'd rather go to work and get paid for it." He reached the clearing and paused. "Huh? Where... where's the teleporting thingy?"

Lars looked around frantically, looking for the crystal platform to no avail. It was just... gone.   
"That's weird..." Steven whispered.  
"It wouldn't disappear, would it?" Sadie feigned innocence. Steven frowned. He walked over to where she had hid it, and her heart beat just a little faster.   
"Okay well, maybe we just got our bearings wrong." He shrugged again.   
"What?!" Lars shrieked.   
"It's fine! The gems will see I'm gone and come find us... in a day or two, probably."   
"WHAT?!" He shrieked twice as loud. Steven rolled his eyes.   
"In the meantime, I'm going to see if a can get an aerial view to try and find the warp pad. Wait for me on the beach." He removed his guitar from his back, and two large elegant wings sprouted from their usual place. Lars and Sadie couldn't help but marvel at the casual display of his powers, even if it was just for a moment as he disappeared through the canopy. 

Twenty minutes went by before Steven landed in front of them, his watery wings drooping sadly.   
"Sorry guys, I couldn't find anything." He rubbed the back of his head almost guiltily. Lars shot up from his seat, his cheeks ruddy and his eyes wide.   
"Steven! How could you do this?!" He grabbed hold of Steven's shoulders and shook him. "We're stranded!"   
Sadie pulled his hands away from the frazzled Steven.   
"Calm down! Is this really the worst place to be stuck in?" She gestured to the beauty around them with a smile.   
"No, you calm down! I'm gonna find better reception."

Sadie looked at his retreating frame reluctantly. She turned around to look at Steven, who was sat slouched on a rock under a tiny palm tree. Casting a glance at the setting sun, she walked over and sat next to Steven.   
"Sadie, I don't know what I'm doing wrong."   
"Pfft, tell me about it."   
"You guys were meant to love this place so much you'd never want to leave! Well, now we can't leave regardless." His wings drooped just a little lower, and she felt the overwhelming urge to touch them.   
"It'll be fine. He can't keep up this... shtick forever."   
"I could do without the audio commentary!" Lars called out from the clearing. Steven face-palmed.   
"Asshole." He mumbled. 

Steven didn't realise how difficult catching fish was. Trousers rolled up to their knees, he and Sadie used sharpened sticks to try and impale any nearby fish for their next meal. After almost an hour of doing this, they were both more than frustrated.   
"Hey Steven.." Sadie looked at him intently with a thoughtful expression.   
"Yeah?"   
"You've got superpowers, right? Why don't you do that thing you did with the water in my cup earlier but with the water here? Maybe we could just grab some fish from that."

Steven looked at her with a slack jaw and narrowed eyes. To her surprise, he slapped his forehead.   
"How did I not think of that earlier?!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. Sadie giggled.   
"You sure you can handle that much though? You didn't have a great grip on your powers until recently."   
Steven frowned moodily.   
"Sure no problem." He waved a hand dismissively.

He took a deep breath as he took a fighting stance on the shoreline. Sadie's mouth formed a thin line as the wind picked for up exponentially. Steven's arms raised slowly, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as a colossal cube of water was lifted from the ocean, fish and coral swimming about as if nothing were happening.   
"Steven, that's amazing! Keep it up!" Sadie gasped. She plucked a couple fish out with her spear easily, placing them in a small basket they had made recently from palm leaves.

Steven grunted from the effort of holding it up, his arms straining as beads of sweat rolled down his face.   
"Sadie... please... hurry!" He croaked, his breathing becoming increasingly laboured. Panicked by Steven's struggling, Sadie quickly snatched a couple more fish then gave him a thumbs up.

His arms sagged back down at to sides, and the water fell back into place with a splash, soaking both Sadie and Steven from head to toe.   
"How many did you get?" Asked Steven, ruffling the water from his hair.   
"Uhm... seven." She adjusted the edge of the basket as she counted.   
"That's more than enough to last a few days." He shrugged. "Anyway, I'm exhausted, so wake me up when you want to start cooking."   
Without another word, Steven flopped onto the sand face first. Sadie chuckled when she noticed he was already asleep.

Steven's eyes opened groggily as he sat up. To his confusion, he wasn't on the beach anymore, and was instead in a small makeshift shelter build from discarded leaves and branches. A strong aroma wafted from under his nose and he wakened considerably as he realised how hungry he was.   
"Hm.. what's cooking?" He asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eye. Lars and Sadie were sat across from him, three fish cooking over a fire in between them.   
"Fish we caught earlier. We catch, Lars cooks. It's how it goes." Sadie smiled as Lars grumbled moodily. Steven shifted until he was seated comfortably.   
"Yeah well I'm not gonna be able to do that every time. Usually I'm pretty good with my powers but holding it for that long is just too hard." He laughed awkwardly.   
"That was very cool though. Sucks Lars missed it."   
"Psh, so he played with some magic water, who cares?" Lars dismissed as he tended to the fish with a stick.   
"Well I certainly hope you care considering it's the only reason you have food right now." Steven glared at him. Lars frowned.   
"Yeah, whatever..." he mumbled.

"Hey, Steven... you brought a guitar with you, right?" Sadie leaned forward from her spot. "Maybe you could play us something while Lars finishes cooking."   
"Oh!" Steven glanced at the discarded instrument. "Yeah.. I don't see why not."   
He picked up his guitar and placed it on his lap, casually strumming as he tested some chords. A small smile formed on his face as he began to play a pattern.

"Isn't this such a beautiful night, woah... we're underneath a thousand shining stars.."

Steven continued to sing, and despite himself, Lars began to smile.

The days passed, and slowly they managed to create quite the environment for themselves. Their shelter expanded, fishing had become easier, and Steven and Lars were beginning to find each other... tolerable. Fortunately they had Sadie as middle ground.

Steven had flew off somewhere and once more Lars and Sadie were left alone.   
"Hello? Hello? Oh, c'mon!" Lars shook his phone in frustration. Sadie frowned- was he still trying to leave? Weren't they having fun together? Weren't they finally friends, maybe more? She approached him just as he threw his phone over the edge of the hill and into the ocean.   
"Did that... help?"   
"No!"

Lars slumped onto the ground, hiding his face between his knees. Sadie sat beside him.   
"You okay?" She pressed. Her heart dropped when she heard him sniffle. He looked up at her, his face moist with tears.   
"It's just.. what if I never get back home?"   
"Oh! You're just really homesick."   
"Duh!" He spat. "What'd you think?!"

She recoiled slightly and smiled awkwardly as Lars sobbed.   
"Hey.. it's okay. We're okay." She pulled him into a side hug. "Steven said the gems could be coming for us any day now.... and, y'know, until then, I got your back!" She punched his arm playfully. They pulled away and there was a brief moment of silence. Sadie's heart beat just a little faster as she felt Lars' finger intertwine with hers.

"Sadie... do you ever feel lonely, even when you're around people?"

Sadie gulped, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she nodded solemnly. Suddenly his lips were crashing into her own, hands buried into hair, bodies pressed together. Neither could even begin to savour the moment until they heard a rustling behind them. Still pressed together, they saw an annoyed looking Steven hovering above the ground looking as if he was searching for something. They sprung apart in alarm, their cheeks a raging red.   
"Steven!" They both cried out. "Do you not know what privacy is?!"   
"Get out of here!"

Steven held up his arms defensively, his wings flaring up in surprise.   
"Woah! Why're you whining, you're in an open area. If anything it's unfortunate I got back just when you two started making out. Trust me, I don't want to watch any more than you want me to." He wrinkled his nose at the idea.   
"Ugh!" Exclaimed Lars, scrambling to his feet. "I'm gonna go start the fire." He grumbled as he barged past Steven, causing the gem to glare daggers at him. Sadie snapped out of her dreamy state as she saw this.   
"Wait, you don't have to go!" As she fumbled after him. "We're kinda on our own schedule here!" 

Suddenly, a series of deafening stomps shook the ground, causing the three of them to stumble over themselves. Their hut was immediately crushed as a strangled growl was emitted from seemingly nowhere. Lars grabbed onto Sadie and held her close to him, while (almost instinctively) Steven leapt out in front of them, his wings spread protectively as he bent down into a defensive stance. He spotted a small blue gemstone that appeared to be floating?

"A... gem?" He whispered as realisation dawned on him. Steven wasted no time; he swiftly turned around and grabbed Lars and Sadie by the scruff of their collars, lifting them high into the air despite their protests. Thunder clapped as they soared over the side of the island before finding a pathway, Steven dropping them onto the ground.   
"Start running!" He shouted.   
"What the heck was that?!" Screeched Lars, trying not to rip his hair out as he struggled to catch up with Steven.   
"It's what the gems and I were looking for! It never left the island- it's invisible!" Replied Steven, his eyes wide and panicked.   
"A big invisible monster is after us?!" Lars cried, bursting into tears once more. "I wanna go home, I wanna go home!"

Sadie looked at his sobbing form guiltily. She steeled herself and grabbed his shirt, dragging him into the vegetation as Steven struggled to keep up.   
"This way!" She called out. Steven glanced around, feeling a strange sense of recognition for the place. Sadie rushed ahead and grabbed a pile of leaves, thrusting it into the air and revealing the warp pad everyone longed for for weeks. Both Steven and Lars' hearts dropped to their feet when they saw this.   
"The warp pad!" Steven shouted as he hopped onto it. "Get on, I'll take us home!"   
Sadie gripped onto Lars's arm, but he immediately recoiled, his face twisted in disgust and anger.

"You knew!"

Steven glanced up, frustration written all over his features.   
"We can talk about it later, now just get on the warp pad!" He ran a hand through his hair, soaked through by the heavy rain.   
"Look, I panicked, I hid the warp pad." She stammered for words to defend herself with as she turned to look at Lars pleadingly. "You were gonna leave, but I knew how much you really needed this! Why won't you ever let me help you?!"

"Help me?!" He repeated her words in shocked horror. "Are you insane?! You trapped me on an island so you could come onto me!" He crossed his arms indignantly. She gasped, slapping his arm roughly.   
"You kissed me on the mouth!" She called after every hit through grit teeth.

"Guys I wanna be mad too, but can we do it on the warp pad?!" Cried out Steven, trying to get their attention.   
"Shut up, Steven!" Shouted Lars, distracting himself from Sadie for only a moment. With one final hit, Lars toppled over the side of the hill as Sadie gasped in shock. She and Steven looked over the side, seeing a dazed Lars slowly get to his feet, covered entirely in mud. Just in front of him, deep claw prints were stamped into the mud, accompanied by aggravated snarls. Lars screamed in terror, covering his head with his arms.

Steven sprung into action the moment he spotted the invisible creature's gem approaching Lars. His wings extended from his back as he jumped down, landing gracefully behind the gem. Lars peaked out from behind his flimsy arm cover, watching in awe. Steven gathered the rain water to create a bubble above him, and in one swift movement, his arm raised as the bubble turned into a great shard of ice. His hand swung down, and the shard was plunged deep into the creature's transparent form, causing it to dissipate into a cloud. Its gem clattered to the floor.

His face like stone, he bubbled the gem and sent it back to the temple. He walked over to Lars, holding his hand out.

Lars looked up at Steven's expressionless stare, hypnotising water wings, and soaked hair and clothes, thunder crashing behind him. He allowed himself to be helped to his feet, and for the first time, he knew a warrior was stood before him.   
"Thanks."   
No reply.

Steven lifted the pair of them off the ground with a hard flap of his wings, and reunited them with Sadie at the top of the hillside. The three of them stepped onto the warp pad, all looking a bit worse for wear.   
"Steven, that was amazing!" Said Sadie, her eyes lighting up.   
"Yeah. That was really cool, how you uh, saved me." Lars said awkwardly.   
"Don't read into it." Frowned Steven. He activated the warp pad, and they were all teleported home. 

***

"Steven, where have you been?! We've all been worried sick!"   
"Mask island."  
"What? Why?"  
"I'll explain later."


	6. Mother's message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a whole night of putting up with Lion's hijinks, Steven discovers a video tape addressed to him in his mane.

"I can't decide."   
"Why don't you just get what you usually get? We've got more in stock now."   
"I thought I'd try new things."

Sadie watched as Steven scanned the shop for anything he'd want to try. Apparently after an existential crisis he had decided he wanted to live life to the fullest, and that meant not getting a donut...? Sadie didn't understand the details all that well.

"Hey Lion, what do you think?" He asked his enormous blue lion. It halted licking its paws and pressed its nose against the display of Lion Lickers.   
"Gross..." muttered Steven as he continued to browse. He paused as he came across a display shelf full of coloured paper bags with Sadie's name scrawled across them.  
"You have a snack named after you?" He turned to look at her. She scoffed as she leant up against the counter.   
"No, those are just old lunches my mom made me. I don't eat them because it makes me feel like a little kid, you know? I can feed myself." She frowned as Steven looked at her in confusion.   
"Least you have a mom..." He whispered. "Can I have one?" He spoke after a moment of silence.   
"Sure, but some have been in there a while so choose carefully." She teased playfully.

Steven smiled as he picked one out.   
"Thanks Sadie." 

When he arrived back home he placed the paper bag on the counter and opened it up, emptying its contents on the table. Lion immediately grabbed the bag between his molars and tore it to shreds, causing Steven to chuckle at his antics.   
"Okay, let's see what we got."   
He examined the contents, and wasn't surprised to see it was just a normal lunch; a sandwich, a drink, some fruit, and (to his delight) a cookie in the shape of a heart. He sat down on the couch and munched on the cookie, his stare inadvertently fixated on the portrait of his mother hung above the front door.

Steven stared for what seemed like an eternity, before Lion snapped him from his trance by yawning obnoxiously. He spared him a quick glance before looking down at his feet.   
"I wonder what lunches Mom would've made me." He sighed as he finished off his cookie. "I just wish I knew her better."   
Although he was no longer looking, he couldn't get her image out of his mind. Her pale azure locks that drifted just above her shoulders, her frosty blue eyes, her thin frame, and her most striking watery wings. When he looked at that portrait, a small part of him swore he could hear her voice.

Saddened by this, his gaze drifted down to the ground between his feet. He shuffled slightly. Lion noticed this and pressed his snout up against Steven's shoulder, causing him to chuckle and rub his nose affectionately.   
"You're a good lion, Lion."

Night fell over Beach City, and Steven spread one of the spare blankets over the couch cushions to accommodate Lion.   
"There, extra soft, just like you like it." He said, proud of his work. Lion obviously didn't think the same. He huffed and leaped up onto Steven's loft, snuggling under the duvet on his bed, despite his owner's complaints. Steven ran up the steps and shooed Lion out of his bed.   
"Lion!" He whined. "This is my bed! C'mon, I made you your own one."

Lion ignored him and curled up at the foot of his bed, causing Steven to sigh. He payed no mind to him and got ready for bed. He changed into his pajama shorts and pulled off his shirt and hoodie, flopping onto the bed. He snuggled into his pillow, and was asleep within minutes.

Steven's eyes opened slowly. His entire view was surrounded by blue. The sky was a beautiful crystal-like aqua colour, and the unbelievable soft grass was dark like the ocean. A white sun beat down its gentle rays onto Steven's face.

'Woah... what is this place?'

He tried to take a breath but froze. He couldn't. There was no air!

He began to panic and sunk further down into the long soft grass. He could hear Pearl calling his name. His legs flailed about until he felt someone grab him, and he was suddenly back in his loft, taking deep breaths on top of a very confused Pearl.

"What happened?!" He cried out in panicked confusion as he lifted himself off of Pearl.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "Why was Lion sleeping on you?"

"No idea. He's being extra clingy today, but it's nice knowing he cares about me." He smiled as Lion bumped his shoulder with his snout. Lion pressed Steven's face into his fur again, but this time he managed to move away.

"Wait." He paused, glancing back at Pearl. "Why're you here, Pearl?"

She laughed nervously.

"Well... you know how I always say- um, just..." She trailed off. "I like to watch you sleep sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean often."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Steven picked his shirt up off the ground and pulled it back on with wide eyes.

"Okeydokey, it's time for everyone to leave Steven alone. Surprisingly enough I prefer sleeping without people watching me or being on top of me."

He flopped onto his bed once more. One eye cracked open and he saw Pearl and Lion staring down at him. He sat up and swatted them away with his pillow causing them to scuttle away down the loft stairs. Once he made sure they left he fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes, letting sweet sleep overtake him.

When he awoke he was back in the blue field.   
'What the- what is this place? Why is it so familiar?'   
He thought about it for a moment then frowned.   
'Lion...' He drawled. Steven kicked his legs until he was free from Lion's weight on top of him, panting heavily.

"Why do you keep sleeping on top of me?!" He cried out, running a hand through his hair. Lion exhaled and flipped himself over, exposing his belly to Steven.   
"You... wanted a belly rub..?" He looked down at him in exasperation. Steven sighed and rubbed Lion's belly, but before he could even react, his paws were pulling him down into the feline's gigantic mane, and he found himself suffocating once more. Luckily he managed to pull himself up for air, but Lion didn't hesitate to snuff his face back into his mane, claws digging into his back.

"That's enough!" Steven gasped. 

"I'm tired enough already, Lion! I don't want to be kept up all night!" Steven scolded as he pushed Lion out of the front door. "You can sleep outside tonight, I'll let you back in in the morning." He huffed as he shut the door, stomping back up the steps to his loft. He paused when he heard a whimpering from behind him.

Steven turned and saw Lion's nose pressed against the glass door, his big dark eyes wide as if he were pleading. Steven tried to turn back around and just go to sleep, but Lion's whining got to him.

He groaned loudly and stomped back down the stairs, flinging the door open. He wrapped his arms around Lion's neck and pressed his cheek into his fur.   
"Ugh, I just can't stay mad at you!"   
Lion crooned softly and leant into Steven, his eyes instinctively closing. Their hug only lasted for a moment. Steven's eyes snapped open as a soft azure light flooded his vision, and he felt himself sinking deeper into Lion's mane. He quickly pulled his face away and looked at Lion, who stared at him with a serious expression (however serious a lion can look).

Despite being reluctant, he pushed his head into Lion's mane, the azure light coming back again. He opened his eyes. He was back in that field!

'I'm inside Lion's mane?!"

Steven realised he still couldn't breathe and pulled his head out. Increasingly curious, he took a deep breath and went back in, this time climbing all the way in. He only took a moment to appreciate the scenery when he noticed a small hill in the near distance, a gorgeous white tree with sky blue leaves growing elegantly on top. His feet moved rapidly towards it, and as he moved closer he spotted various items scattered on the hill's floor or the tree's spindly branches.

Suddenly his lungs began to burn, his face turning a deep red when he realised he forgot that he still couldn't breathe. He quickly stuck his head out of Lion's mane again, breathing heavily before returning back to the field.

Wasting no time, he jogged up the hill, his bare feet pressing down on the significantly shorter grass. Next to the tree in the ground was a torn and tattered flag on its post, the symbol of a tear drop encased in watery wings embalmed onto the cloth. There was a shirt hung up on one of the branches, and a locked treasure chest beneath it. He glanced down and his eyes clocked onto a small cassette tape.

Steven reached down to pick it up, seeing 'Steven' scrawled into its side. It was clear that it was meant for him. He examined it in his grip, noting every scuff mark and scratch on its surface. He didn't recognise the handwriting, and just knowing it came from his mother left a dull ache in his heart.

He wanted to keep looking at it, but he realised that maybe it'd be better where he could actually breathe. Holding onto the tape tightly, he hopped off of the hill and into the long blue grass, quickly finding himself flat on his face on his deck.

Steven heard the three crystal gems teleport  
back, and immediately realised what he had to do. He spotted the sun rising in the horizon over the ocean and smiled. With one final pat to Lion's head, he spread his wings and flew high into the sky. 

Sadie has just managed to unlock the door when Steven landed beside her, still in his dark grey pyjama shorts and black shirt, his blue gem poking over the top.   
"Sorry Steven but donuts aren't ready for another hour. What's with the cassette?" She said, Lars bopping his head to the beat of his music rather obnoxiously behind her. Steven leant over and whispered in her ear, and she gasped and ushered him inside.

They went into the back room, Steven tucking the tape into the cassette player while Sadie hung up her coat. The TV was static for a couple seconds as they sat down, but then the screen lit up, the tape whirring in its player.

It was a beach- and one all too familiar. It panned up to look at the temple, the lack of a house in the statue's hands jarring for Steven. His eyes widened slightly as the camera revealed a much younger looking Greg skipping across the sand.

Soft, gentle laughter filled the room.

'What are you doing?'

The voice was the one of a woman's, and although he knows he'd never heard it before, it was strikingly familiar. For reasons he couldn't explain, his heart began to throb when he heard it.

"Steven, that voice..." Sadie whispered. Steven's hand absentmindedly reached up and hovered over his gemstone.

The camera zoomed in on Greg napping on the beach, a seagull stood on his stomach as he slept. The voice giggled.

'Greg made a friend!'

Suddenly the seagull flapped it's wings and took off, causing Greg to snap awake in fright. The woman laughed- a beautiful sound that sent a chill shooting up Steven's spine.

The camera cut to Greg standing awkwardly in front of it, his cheeks a pale pink.   
'Well... introduce yourself!' The woman had a smile in her voice.   
'Okay, so... my name is... Greg- no wait, this is all wrong!'

The camera quickly cut to Greg posing on the sand, guitar in hand and sunglasses shading his eyes.   
'I'm... Mr. Universe!'   
He strummed the guitar dramatically as the woman laughed once more.   
'Get ready, baby! You're gonna have the coolest dad this side of the cosmos!'

The camera suddenly cut to Greg, on the shoreline, quietly strumming a sweet melodic tune on his guitar, the waves splashing at his feet.

'Isn't it remarkable, Steven?'

Steven's breath hitched in his throat.

'This world is full of so many possibilities... Each living thing has an entirely unique experience. The sights they see, the sounds they hear, the lives they live... are so complicated, and yet... so simple.'

Steven could feel his eyes begin to burn as he struggled to swallow the lump in his throat. He didn't dare look away for even a second.

'I can't wait for you to join them!' She continued to speak. Suddenly, the camera became blurry as it spun around quickly, and in just a moment, the woman behind the voice was revealed.

Lapis Lazuli, in all her glory, smiling sweetly at the camera she held in her thin arms. She had dark blue skin and piercing watery azure eyes. Her short hair was the colour of bluebells and snow, and she had a sort of graceful elegance to her lithe frame. Lazuli's eyes softened as she continued to speak.

'We can't both exist... I'm going to become half of you! And I need you to know that every moment you love being yourself... that's me! That's me, loving you, and loving being you...'

The tears began to spill.

'Because you're going to be something extraordinary... you're going to be a human being.'

Someone called out her name.

'Take care of them, Steven.'

The video turned to static.


	7. Warp Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven sees something outside the warp stream.

Pearl hopped over one of the fences in the strawberry fields, Amethyst and Garnet in tow.  
"I can't believe that went so well!" Pearl grinned. The three of them had just been up against a rather tough corrupted gem, and for the first time in a while Pearl was genuinely impressed with Amethyst's fighting tactics.  
"Yeah- I especially liked when you hit it with your spear and it like, exploded." Amethyst smiled.  
"And the way you circled around it- I dare say it almost looked like strategy."

The two of them blushed slightly as they approached the warp pad. Garnet teleported the gemstone to the temple with her bubble as Steven dragged his feet along the grass. His cheeks were red and his eyes were swollen and puffy. He sneezed and groaned in annoyance.  
"UGH! These allergies are killing me. Remind me again why I agreed to come help?" His hand absentmindedly rubbed his eye.

"You weren't exactly helpful." Garnet deadpanned as the four of them stepped onto the warp pad.  
"Yeah, I know... allergies prevented me from actually functioning." He frowned. Amethyst snickered at the warp pad activated, and they were catapulted up in a bright beam of light.

They were still in the warp beam when Steven suddenly sneezed and was sent flying back, the other three crystal gems struggling to catch him. His head emerged out from the warp beam, and his face was hit with a sudden freezing stinging sensation. Outside it was darker than night, storm clouds manifesting high in the air. Steven gasped in wonderment.  
"Wow..." He whispered.

To his confusion, another bright beam of light streaked across the black sky. Another warp beam?

Garnet quickly dragged him back in by his leg, and he took a deep gulp of air.  
"What the hell?" He whispered to himself.  
"Steven, be careful!" Whined Pearl, Amethyst chuckling slightly.  
"You've got to stay within the warp beam- outside it's extremely cold and there's very little air." Garnet told him. Steven, still panting for air, glanced up at her.  
"Yeah, I gathered."

"Hey, I, uh- I saw something out there." He breathed.  
"Something?" Pearl repeated.  
"Yeah, something was warping from the south to the east."  
"Steven- that's ridiculous! Nothing can use these warps but us!" She tried to reassure. Steven frowned.  
"No, I'm positive that I-"  
"Steven, there was nothing out there, okay? That's enough about that." 

A couple hours later, Steven lay in bed, his eyes wide and restless. He stared at his ceiling, paying close attention to every crook in the wooden panels in an attempt to keep his mind off of the thing he saw in the warp. He felt strangely paranoid- usually he managed to keep a level head, but for some reason the idea of a foreign thing capable of warping around spooked him greatly.

Steven quickly sat up when he heard the warp pad activate, his heart leaping out of his chest. He breathed out when he saw Amethyst hop off the pad and walk over to the kitchen, slamming open the fridge.  
"Amethyst!" Steven whined, falling back into his pillow.  
"What?" She replied, stacking everything in the fridge as high as she could in her arms. "Did I scare you or something?"  
Steven frowned as she smirked.  
"Oh, scared of the thing you saw in the warp stream teleporting in and attacking you?"  
He frowned harder.

She laughed tauntingly, walking over to the temple door and going into her room, still laughing along the way. Steven groaned loudly in frustration.  
"Well there's no way I'm sleeping now." He said to the empty house. Begrudgingly he stood up from his bed and changed into his jeans, not bothering with changing his loose tank he used as a pyjama top.

Barefoot and bleary, he walked out his front door, spread his wings, and flew high over the town. 

It wasn't until he glided over Funland did he begin to feel bored. He wanted to sleep- badly. However it seemed impossible with that warp pad no more than ten metres from his bed. Steven sighed, flying lower to the ground, his wings reflecting the moonlight onto the ground below. He absentmindedly rubbed his eyes in an attempt to stop feeling so tired- it obviously didn't work.

Not feeling safe flying while being so tired, he flapped his wings harder and flew up to the top of the Ferris wheel, hopping onto the roof of the top cart. He flopped down, one leg hanging over the side, the other hiked up to his chest.

Steven sighed. He looked over the dark city, illuminated by only a few street lamps and insignias. He glanced to his left, seeing the ocean in the near distance. A quiet smile formed on his face as he leaned back on his hands, revelling in the peaceful quiet. This was exactly what he needed. Going flying always cleared his head. Breathing deeply and closing his eyes, he listened to the distant splashing of the waves on the shore, the subtle sound of the wind rustling leaves, and the occasional rumble of a car driving past.

"Wow!"

He heard an exclamation from the ground and snapped his eyes open. Instinctively his gaze shot down to where the sound came from, and his brows furrowed in confusion when he spotted someone he didn't recognise.

It was a girl. She had bouncy ringlets of blonde hair that cascaded until just above her shoulders, light skin, and big, shining, brown eyes.  
"How on earth did you get up there?" She called up to him. He raised a brow.  
"I flew." He replied. Now it was her turn to look confused.  
"You what?"

Steven's wings sprouted from his back as he stood up, gliding down to the ground to stand beside her. She was only just shorter than him, and she was staring him up and down with a shocked expression. It took a moment before she was able to speak.

"Are you... an... angel?"

Steven burst out laughing, his wings retreating into his back as he doubled over.  
"What?" He said through tears of laughter. "No!"

She recoiled slightly.  
"Sorry...?" She winced. "Then what are you? People don't usually have wings."  
Steven pondered for a moment.  
"What's your name?" He asked. She was confused for a moment, but then smiled shyly.  
"I'm Elizabeth- but my friends call me Liz. What about you?"  
"My name's Steven." He held out his hand and she shook it.

"Now can you answer the question? I really want to know, well, the weirdness I just witnessed."

Steven snorted then pointed to the top of the gem peaking out from his shirt. Liz's eyes widened.  
"What in the- is that a gemstone? In your body?!"  
"Yeah, it's really hard to explain and probably even harder to understand, but I'll give it a go." He laughed nervously as Liz smiled. 

Steven summarised it as best he could, but Liz's constant questions resulted in about twenty minutes of going back and forth.  
"So... your mother was a Lapis Lazuli?"  
"Yup."  
"And now her gem is in your human body?"  
"Uhuh."  
"And you... save the city from monsters with your three carers?"  
"Pretty much."  
"Huh. Cool."

They stood awkwardly for a moment, but then both sighed. Steven paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. He turned to look at her.  
"You never told me why you're here, Elizabeth."  
Her head shot up at this, a startled expression on her face.  
"Oh- me?" She stuttered, suddenly looking nervous. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she caved. 

"I... I needed to get out of the house for a while. My parents are going through a rough patch and they keep arguing throughout the night and I-" she paused and took a shaky breath, clearly on the verge of tears. Steven placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.  
"They're going to split up soon; that much is obvious. I just wish it wasn't this... hard."

She snickered tearfully, causing Steven to recoil slightly in confusion.  
"I don't- I don't even know why I'm telling you this, I just... I don't know. I guess I just needed to get it off of my chest." Liz wiped her eye with the sleeve of her jumper.  
"I understand." He replied. With a quick glance up he noticed the moon was moving suspiciously closer to the end of the sky, indicating it was around 3am. Reluctantly, he turned back to the sniffling girl.

"It's really late. You should probably go home or your parents will start to worry." He said. She sighed a nodded.  
"You're right. It was nice meeting you, Steven."  
"I'm sure it won't be the last time, Elizabeth."

Steven's gracious wings extended from his back, Liz watching in awe as he took off from the ground. She stopped him before he could fly away.  
"They're really pretty."  
"What?"  
"Your wings. They're pretty."

He smiled.

"Thanks."

Once Steven arrived home he immediately felt a lot sleepier than he previously did. Any thought of the creature from the warp had vanished from his mind, and he couldn't wait to sleep and then see Connie in the morning.

He removed his shoes and jeans, collapsing into his bed with nothing but his boxers and top. He snuggled into his warm comforter, and was fast asleep in less than a minute.

Steven was awoken by a loud bang! He immediately shot up, glancing around wildly. His eyes landed on the rubble just near the warp pad, and the hole in his ceiling. There, on the ground, buried by broken planks of wood, was... a machine? A tiny ball that appeared to walk around by its own will. It had crash landed through Steven's roof and chipped some of the warp pad, and now it was hobbling about as if nothing had happened at all.

"What the hell?!" Exclaimed Steven, hopping out from under the covers and sprinting over to the tiny robot.  
"I was- I was right! You were what I saw in the stream!" He shouted, reaching out towards the small mechanical creature.  
"Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl?!" He called out, all the while trying to decipher what this little thing was doing in his house. Sparing a quick glance to the hole in his ceiling, he glared down at the robot as it fumbled over to the warp pad.

"You came from space...?" Steven whispered to himself. The robot spat out a strange goo at him, and he hastily dodged it. It sprayed the goo onto the chipped warp pad, and Steven's eyes widened as it was suddenly repaired. The chip was just gone. The robot hopped onto the pad, and Steven quickly realised that it was about to warp away as a bright light filled the room.

Refusing to let it escape, he pounced into the warp stream, suddenly being catapulted into the air along with the tiny robot. Steven clung onto its shiny metal body, noticing a large crack down its body.  
"Where are you going?!" He yelled at it. His heart suddenly dropped as he spotted something in the corner of his eye: there were more.

Dozens of tiny robots emerged from the darkness outside the warp stream, all crowding around Steven and the cracked one he so desperately clung to. Reacting on instinct, he quickly summoned his wings and swatted them away as aggressively as he could, his heart beating just a little faster as he realised his efforts were futile.

The robots just didn't care.

It wasn't long before all of them were pressed against him, and Steven came to the grim realisation that they were trying to push him out of the warp stream. It wasn't more than a split second after he realised this that his body was suddenly thrown from the confines of the stream.

A sharp chill suddenly engulfed his body, his flesh going completely numb from the cold. What felt most awful was the sudden lack of air in his lungs- it was as if oxygen had been ripped straight out of his blood.

His throat made a strange croaking sound as it tried to inhale with a significant lack of air, and his eyelids suddenly felt heavy. He tried to move his wings to fly back to the warp stream, but he grimaced when he realised the water of his wings had turned to ice.

Frozen, alone, and delirious.

Steven sighed, his breath forming a mist in front of his face. Icicles has formed on the hands wrapped around the tiny robot, which had long since stopped moving.

"I'm gonna die."

His eyes fluttered closed.

Steven's eyes snapped open as he felt a sudden warmth surround him, and he immediately inhaled as largely as he could as air finally filled his lungs. He wheezed heavily, tears pricking at his eyes.

"Take deep breaths."

He glanced up, seeing Garnet holding him tightly in her grip.  
"Garnet?" He croaked. She mussed his hair down comfortingly as Amethyst and Pearl floated up beside them in the warp stream.

"Steven, what on Earth were you doing outside the warp stream?!" Exclaimed Pearl, rushing over to wipe the tears from Steven's cheeks. He held out the robot to Garnet, who released him from her grip to examine the robot.  
"So this is what you saw..." She whispered.  
"It burst in through the roof in the house and I followed it when it tried to escape. But then a bunch showed up and pushed me out the warp stream." He explained as all three of the crystal gems' eyes widened.  
"I don't know what's going on- could someone please tell me what these things are?!" He glanced around wildly.

Garnet furrowed her brows.  
"I don't know, but I know that we should follow them. Hopefully that'll get us some answers."

They arrived at the galaxy warp, racing over to the giant warp pad in the centre that connected to other planets. Steven stared in confusion at its still completely shattered state, cracks and crevices covering the entire surface. There was no way this thing was still functional. In fact, it was marked inactive by the Crying Breakfast Friends sticker he had attached to it over a year ago.

"This doesn't make any sense." Garnet said. "Why are these... machines here?"  
Steven frowned as he examined the surrounding area. Suddenly he gasped as he noticed the dozens of tiny robots suddenly emerge from the surrounding ocean, the cluster of them scrambling onto the galaxy warp pad, covering it in goo. The four gems grimaced at the sight, but watched curiously.

It suddenly clicked in Steven's brain- they were going to fix the warp pad, meaning a gem from outer space must need it to warp to earth.  
"Uh, guys, we might wanna get out of here." He spoke anxiously, but the three other gems paid no mind as they were too caught up in watching these robots.

Wings sprouting from his back (fortunately not frozen blocks of ice anymore- perks of having wings made of water), he grabbed Amethyst and lifted her off of the ground, causing the other two gems to turn and look at them.  
"No time to explain, but we really need to hide." Said Steven through grit teeth.

It didn't take long for the warp pad to quickly absorb the goo, becoming brand new in a matter of seconds. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl gasped, but Steven only felt his panic rise. Only a moment later, it was being activated, and the four of them quickly leapt behind a pillar to hide, Steven's wings wrapping around the four of them and huddling close.

Steven peaked over the top of the ledge, his eyes widening at what he saw.

There was a gem- one he couldn't recognise. She was tall and green from head to toe. Her green-tinted hair was spiked into a triangular shape, and a visor lay over her eyes along with the triangular gem embedded in her forehead. She inspected the warp, eyeing it closely.

The gem's strange floating fingers formed a hexagonal hologram in front of her, her remaining finger using it as a sort of touchscreen device.

"Log date 3-1-2."

Her voice was prim and squeaky.

"This is Peridot, performing an Earth hub maintenance check." She spoke. One of the small robots crawled onto her shoulder.  
"Her name's Peridot." Whispered Steven, and Amethyst clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Warp repair a success." She continued. "All 79 robonoids deployed and accounted for. Preparing to locate and manually reactivate the Kindergar-"

She paused as the damaged robot that Steven held earlier poked her foot. Steven almost smiled as he thought they looked like her babies. Peridot placed a blocky foot on the little robot's head, squishing down until it exploded into nothing but goo. Steven's mouth quickly curved downwards.

"78." She deadpanned. "Now to access the domestic warp." She trudged down the steps of the galaxy warp, but quickly stopped to look at the sticker that had been left by Steven.  
"This site may have been compromised." She frowned as she looked around suspiciously.

Peridot hopped back onto the warp pad. She clicked her fingers and the robots deactivated. Without sparing a glance, she warped away.

The four gems quickly left their hiding place, their faces all contorted in shock.  
"They're coming back!" Exclaimed Pearl. "I can't do this! Not again!" She buried her face in her hands. Amethyst placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Where the hell did that gem come from?!" Steven shouted, burying a hand in his hair. "What did she want?"

"It doesn't matter." Stated Garnet, stomping over to the warp pad. She summoned her gauntlets, and they grew to sizes bigger than Amethyst. With a grunt of effort, Garnet lifted them into the air, before bringing them straight back down. They shattered the galaxy warp, hundreds of azure shards scattering everywhere as the other three yelped in surprise.

"She's not coming back."


	8. Alone Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven realises his feelings for Connie.

"I tend not to fuse that often."   
"Why?"

Connie turned her head slightly to look at him, and Steven shrugged. The pair were currently sat on the beach near his house, watching the waves lap over the shoreline as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

"I've fused with Amethyst and Pearl like twice- so I like to think I've gotten the hang of this fusion thing. But every time the person I've fused with never knows how to, well, handle my powers."

Connie raised a brow. "How do you mean?"

"Well... I'm not trying to sound big-headed or anything, but my abilities are quite... over the range that normal gems would have. I have the powers of a Lapis Lazuli, who are some of the most aristocratic and rare gems there are, meaning whoever I fuse with tend to get a little power-hungry." Steven rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as Connie nodded understandingly.

"I didn't realise fusion was so complicated." She spoke thoughtfully. Steven snorted.   
"Tell me about it..."

The two of them stared out at the sunset and sighed contentedly.   
"Hey, how about we go for a fly?" Steven turned to her with a bright smile. Connie immediately sat up straight in excitement, a large grin on her face.   
"Yeah!"

Steven helped her up and summoned his wings, flapping them a couple times to stretch them out. Quickly he scooped up Connie in his arms by placing his arms under her back and the joint in her knees, then pulling her close to his chest. She giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and within a couple seconds they had shot into the darkening sky.

They peacefully soared through the sky, Steven purposefully not going above the clouds in order to not get too cold. Luckily it wasn't windy, and the clouds in the night sky were sparse, allowing the stars to shine clearly.

Connie enjoyed the view of the city beneath them, the lights shimmering and sparkling in a colourful hue of gold and white. The sky was breathtakingly beautiful too, and her eyes widened at the stars, painted in the night sky like drops of milk on a black canvas.

"Don't you ever feel like you could just touch the stars?"

Steven faltered, glancing down at her with a chuckle.   
"What?"   
"You can fly. Don't you ever just want to... I don't know, fly away? Go as high as you can go, and touch the stars? Or the moon?" Connie had a far-off look in her eyes, her large pupils fixated on the light of the full moon.

"I'm a gem, not a rocket ship."

"I'd like to go to the moon." She sighed. There was a brief moment of silence, the only sounds being the soft wind and the occasional flapping of Steven's wings.   
"Me too." He breathed. They were silhouetted by the glow of the moon, the soft light illuminating their frames. Connie held on just a little tighter after he spoke, her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders.

"I'm gonna take you there."

Her head snapped up, brown eyes meeting blue. Steven smiled at her.   
"I'll fly you to the moon myself. I promise."

Steven had tired himself out from flying by the time they landed, and it was already dark so they agreed to call it a night.

Steven walked into his house, feeling sleepier than always. Amethyst was lying down on the coach, seemingly scrolling through Instagram. They made eye contact as he walked through his living room, pulling his hoodie off.   
"Sooo...?" She grinned.   
"So what?"   
"How did it go..?"

Startled, he paused. His head turned to look at her, his brows shooting up in his hairline.   
"I, uh- don't know what you're referring to." He cleared his throat. Amethyst snorted loudly.   
"Dude- I know you were out with Connie! Did anything happen?" She smiled excitedly, shooting up off of the couch. Steven adamantly trudged up the stairs to his loft, ignoring her.

"No." He wrinkled his nose indignantly.   
"Come on, Steven! Everyone knows you have a huge crush on Connie!"   
He crossed his arms with a frown, a furious pink blush creeping along his cheeks. After a second of him regaining his composure, he walked over to his dresser, pulling out his pyjamas.   
"The only crush I have is crushing anxiety." Steven deadpanned, slamming his dresser shut as Amethyst chuckled.

"Yeah, right..." She leered, slinking down the stairs with a knowing smirk. Amethyst walked into her room in the temple, leaving a very embarrassed Steven alone in his house. Chucking his pyjamas aside, he collapsed backwards into his bed, hiding his bright pink face with his hands.

Okay maybe he had feelings for Connie. But it wasn't definite! It wasn't like her laugh made his heart clench, or the way she brushed her hair from her face made his stomach turn to knots, or even when she lightly touched his hand he could feel his heart hammering against his rib cage- oh who was he kidding?

He probably had the biggest crush in the history of crushes.

His hand made its way over to his pocket and he pulled out his phone. It turned on, the image of him and Connie sticking their tongues out as his background making him smile quietly. He swiftly unlocked it, opening his messages and clicking on Connie's icon.

mansgotwings- Hey I had fun today, wanna meet up tomorrow?   
....  
magicalbitch- I had fun today too, I'd love to hang out again tomorrow! I'll meet at ur place :)))   
...  
mansgotwings- Sounds like a plan 

The next day rolled around, and the pair had spent every moment of daylight enjoying the rides at Funland. By the time the sun had begun to set, the two of them had found themselves on the beach once again.

"There's a school dance coming up, but I'm not gonna go." Connie twirled her hair around her finger.  
"You're not? Why?" Steven sat a little straighter. Connie blushed slightly, holding her hair just a little tighter.   
"Oh, I don't know... I've never danced in front of anyone before. I don't like the idea of people staring..."

Steven leant forward, his eyes wide and pleading.   
"No one's staring right now..."   
"Um, you are."   
"Oh! Right..." Steven recoiled. "Hold on!"   
He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone after a moment of searching. He stood up, a tune beginning to play from his phone. He dug it into the sand, the hypnotic melody dancing across the beach. A light pink hue on his cheeks, he covered his face with him arm and held out his other one.

"I guess what I was trying to say was... dance with me?"

He felt a hand grab onto his own, and he hastily uncovered his eyes. With a smile, he pulled her close, and they pulled each other back and forth to the beat of the song. She yelped in surprise and delight when he spun her around, causing him to giggle. She took a step back, admiring for a moment how he looked under the setting sunlight, dancing euphorically. She continued to dance, and he did the same.

They grabbed onto each other's hands spinning and laughing. However Steven, being the klutz he was, suddenly tripped, finding himself falling backwards. Connie reacted and caught him by his back, leaving them staring face to face. They stared into each other's eyes for a full minute. Well, at least before they started cracking up, their laughter contagious for the both of them.

Connie, delirious, leant her forehead onto his. They closed their eyes whilst laughing euphorically, neither realising when Steven's gem began to glow. Their smiles disappeared in a bright light.

Their eyes opened only moments later- but something was different. Their arms stretched in front of them.

Their minds were one with each other's.

"Steven- Connie!"

They felt around their body, their beautiful, confusing, oh so confusing, but just so amazing body. Their hair was long and fluffy, their skin was dark and silky. Their eyes- their eyes felt different. One brown, one blue.

They were a girl, no a boy? They had breasts, they had curves, they had- oh. Both, then. They placed a hand on Steven's- no, their gem. So this was fusion, huh? It was better than they had imagined.

They stood up (albeit with slight difficulty), looking around their surroundings with their new eyes.

"Wait-" Oh they loved their new voice. "Does this mean...?"

Their wings grew long and elegant from their back, flapping excitedly like a new born chick. Luckily the Steven part of them managed to take control of the wings, and they hovered a couple metres off of the ground. The lack of coordination was new, but it was Connie's first time after all.

They flopped back down to the ground, laughing all the way.

"I flew!" They squealed excitedly. They gasped, quickly sitting up straight.

"I have to show everybody." 

"Pretty cool, right?!"

Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl looked at the fusion with wide eyes, each having a unique torrent of thoughts. The fusion stood in Steven's living room, a large grin plastered on their face, and their wings still out proudly (Connie refused to put them away).

"He fused... with his friend Connie?" Pearl squinted at the fusion with caution. Amethyst snorted.   
"Pearl, look at Garnet!"   
Garnet smiled with the biggest look of euphoria most had the luck to see, completely disregarding her usual calm and composed demeanour. Pearl frowned, going over to expect the fusion, looking at them up and down.

"Fusing.. with a human? It's unprecedented!" She gasped. "Or at the very least inappropriate..."

Amethyst hopped over to the fusion, placing her hands on their stomach (they were very tall).   
"You two look great together! How do you feel, Steven, Connie- Stevonnie?!" She giggled.   
"It feels amazing!" They held onto Amethysts hands excitedly.   
"Well how you feel isn't important- you two should unfuse immediately." Pearl said curtly, ignoring Stevonnie's look of irritation.

"Pearl, Steven rarely gets to do this! Maybe you should just let him enjoy it, regardless if it's with Connie or not." Stevonnie argued.   
"No that's not what I- ugh, Garnet, help me out here!" Pearl looked over to Garnet.

Face slack of excitement as usual, Garnet walked over to Stevonnie, placing a hand on either cheek.

"Listen to me, Stevonnie."

Stevonnie gulped, looking into Garnet's visor with wide sparkling eyes.

"You are not one person. You are not two people. You... are an experience! Make sure you're a good experience.

Now, go... have... fun!" 

Their long legs leaped across the beach, the sand kicking up behind them. Their hair was swept back by the gentle breeze, and gosh they just felt so perfect. They skid to a stop, looking out over the vast ocean, and the sun's top just disappearing over the horizon.

Stevonnie didn't waste another second, quickly turning and sprinting towards the cliff edge a few yards away. The city shone brightly beneath them, a soft golden hue illuminating the sky. When they reached the edge of the cliff they didn't stop for a moment, instead leaping off, their wings sprouting and allowing them to glide through the air.

They screamed in excitement as the wind carried them higher. At least until they lost balance, plummeting into the water below. However nothing phased them, and they simply rolled onto the shoreline moments later, their hair and clothes plastered to their skin as waves overlapped them, laughing heartily the entire time.

The Big Donut appeared in the corner of their eye, and they stood up from the water. 

Lars and Sadie stopped bickering as soon as the bell above the door rang, their faces becoming slack in shock at the person that walked through the door. They were tall and feminine, with a slight masculine energy. Their hair was soaked through, and they somehow managed to make rinsing it out incredibly alluring.

"Two donuts, please."

Their voice was smooth and sensational, and Lars and Sadie had a hard time breathing properly. Hypnotic mismatched eyes bore into both of their souls, and Sadie struggled to tear her own eyes away to complete their order. She slid the bag across the counter, Stevonnie graciously accepting it.

"How much do I owe you?"

Their gorgeous hair fell slightly over their face, attractively casting a shadow over their cheeks and brows.

"Oh, nothing! It's on the house." Sadie blushed, Lars nodding along.   
"Really?" Stevonnie smiled disbelievingly. Sadie nodded quickly.   
"Okay!" Stevonnie walked over to the door, bag in hand, grin on their face. Just before they left, their head turned slightly, so one brown eye could be seen.

"But just so you know, that isn't a very sound business strategy." 

"Cool, two donuts!" They exclaimed, sitting down on the bench along the coastline. They crossed their legs in a lady-like fashion, pulling the donuts out from the bag.   
"One for me, and one for... me."

"Are you okay?"   
"Yeah.."  
"We can stop, if you-"  
"No! No, I'm fine. I'm happy with you."  
"You're right, this is fun."

They dug into their first donut, enjoying the taste and the peaceful air. Stevonnie paused as someone cleared their throat behind them, and they turned to see Sour Cream with a blush on his cheeks and a nervous expression. Stevonnie immediately sat up straighter.

"Oh hey, Sour- ahem, sour faced stranger..."

"Rave. At the abandoned warehouse, I'm DJay-ing. You should come."

Sour Cream handed them a flier advertising the party, and Stevonnie quickly lit up in excitement.   
"Wow, thanks! I- I'll be there!"  
Sour Cream mumbled under his breath as he walked away, the blush never disappearing from his cheeks. Stevonnie couldn't keep their elation to themselves and squealed.   
"Oh, I can't wait!" 

They arrived at the warehouse and noticed it had been decorated with hanging lights and a bar. People they recognised were dancing together on the dance floor, and they were very excited to join in. Stevonnie hopped over a crack in the wall and rushed to join everyone.

They swerved into the crowd of dancing teens, not wasting a second. They moved their feet to the beat of the song, they flipped their hair and swung their hips, looking and feeling absolutely beautiful the whole time. The song ended, and in the split second before the next started, Stevonnie quickly realised the multitude of pairs of eyes on them. A swallowing feeling engulfed their insides, their stomach sinking to the ground. Their skin covered in cold nervous sweat as their eyes frantically glanced around.

All the attention was on them.

In a brief moment of panic, they ran off the dance floor, grabbing on to the wall as they began to dry heave.

"Why is this so hard? We're not alone, we're together, it should be fine!" Stevonnie paused, turning to lean on the wall. "But we're together, and it's not fine... I'm alone."

"You don't have to be alone, baby."

A sultry voice broke their bubble of temporary peace, and they gasped as their head shot up. Their eyes met with a teenage boy, his clothes expensive and his face conventionally handsome. Stevonnie's nose wrinkled as he came closer.

"Hey girl, how about we get together on the dance floor? You and me, we're made for each other." His arrogance caused the Steven in them to become increasingly angrier.  
"I'm- I'm not a girl. And how can you say that? You don't even know us." They grit their teeth when he rolled his eyes.   
"Okay! Then whatever you are, you're the hottest one here, and I think someone as beautiful as you should be with someone as beautiful as me."

Stevonnie turned their head from him, trying to calm themselves down. Who did this guy think he was?! Calling them girl and hot and he was just so pushy! They took a deep breath.

"I don't want to dance anymore."

Their voice was clear and deep, their annoyance abundantly obvious.

"Woah! Starting to see the dude in you! Well if you don't want to dance then how bouts we get to know each other a little better, baby? I'm Kevin." He said his name with such grandiose it made Stevonnie recoil.

"Go. Away."

Kevin actually laughed. He reached out and placed a hand on their cheek, causing them to go rigid.

"Get off!"

Startled, Stevonnie slapped his hand away, using their other hand to push him away by the chest. He stumbled back, his face twisting into one of anger.

"Hey, watch it!" He raised his voice. Stevonnie however was reeling, their two halves having completely different reactions to the situation. The coordination was gone.

They fell apart.

Steven and Connie crashed to the ground in a flash of light, and Kevin squealed in shock when he saw them. Steven had tears streaming down his face, but Connie was already on her feet.

"What is wrong with you?!" She shouted at Kevin. Tears of fury bunched at the corners of her eyes.

"That's two kids! I'm out!" He turned on his heel and raced out of the building.

Connie, calming down, turned to tend to Steven. He had already wiped his tears and instead wore a look just as angry as Connie's had been. He glanced up to her and the look disappeared.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and Connie nodded, sitting down beside him.   
"Are you?"  
"No."   
"Me neither."

Steven snorted.   
"What a jerk, huh?" He stifled a teary snicker. Connie fought back a choked laugh.  
"Colossal jerk."

"I'm glad you're here, Connie."   
"I'm glad to be here, Steven."


	9. On the Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven visits a kindergarten.

"Steven!"

Steven yelped and dropped the book he was holding as Amethyst burst into his house. He sat up from the couch and picked up his book.   
"Why do you feel the need to scare the crap out of me whenever you enter a room?" He huffed. Amethyst snickered.

"I'm bored." She whined.   
"Doesn't answer the question."   
"I wanna go flying! Please?" She have him her best puppy eyes, and he couldn't help but give in.

"Fine."

Amethyst grinned and ruffled his hair.   
"Thanks bro- I'll go grab my sailor hat." She ran into her room to find her hat.   
"Do you always have to wear it?!" He called after her in frustration.

A moment later, Pearl and Garnet warped back into the living room, Garnet holding about a dozen of the machines they had found when Peridot had come to Earth.   
"Oh hey, it's those warp robots." Steven looked at them with wide eyes. He still felt uneasy around them, considering they had tried to kill him.   
"We need to stop them from repairing the warp pads. Homeworld gems can not have any sort of access to Earth." Garnet said.  
"If the Homeworld gems are trying to return to Earth... they have to be stopped!" Pearl exclaimed.   
"Pearl, calm down. Homeworld is still cut off." Garnet said lowly.

"What do the Homeworld gems even want to do?" Asked Steven, standing from his spot on the couch. At that moment, Amethyst emerged from her room, head adorned with her tattered sailor hat.   
"Alright let's go." She said.  
"In a sec, Pearl was just telling me about what Homeworld gems want to do to Earth or something." Steven replied. Amethyst's expression turned sour.

"Steven, a long time ago, gems tried to do something very bad to the Earth." Pearl explained. "It would have damaged it greatly, and gems such as me, Garnet and your mother found this unfair to the life that already existed here. So we swore that we would never let the Earth be used for their... purposes again."   
"Even if it meant we could never go home." Garnet finished.

Steven's mood had done a one-eighty, and he could feel his face cringing.   
"Wow, that sounds bad." He spoke bluntly.   
"Yup. Horrible." Said Amethyst through grit teeth. "Let's go, Steven."

She quickly grabbed him by the hoodie and dragged him out the door. 

Amethyst sat on Steven's back as they soared over Beach City. His wings flapped elegantly as they glided lower. However he found it strange how uncharacteristically quiet she was being.

"Peaceful up here, huh?" He tried. No response. "I've always found it relaxing to come up here ever since I learned to fly." He tried once more. No response.

He sighed, breathing in the cool air in the frosty blue sky. His shoulders were feeling a bit stiff in the cold, but he savoured the feeling of flying regardless.   
"Okay Amethyst, what's wrong?" He didn't bother trying with any more ice-breakers, and decided to just get to the point. "You've been weirdly quiet, and I'm starting to get worried."

She exhaled and fluffed his hair affectionately.   
"Thanks for worrying, Steven... but I'll be alright. And you're right, it's peaceful up here."   
Steven turned his head to smile at her, but turned back when she didn't reciprocate.   
"Do you want to go home?" He asked.   
"That's not my home."   
"Because you're from Homeworld...?"   
"That's not my home either!"   
"Then.. where are you from?"

"I'll show you." 

"Amethyst!" Groaned Steven. "We've been flying for hours, and I still have no idea where we're going! And I'm the one flying us there!"   
Amethyst shushed him.   
"Come on, my wings are getting tired." He whined.   
"Your wings are made of water. How can water feel tired?" She retorted.   
"They just do, okay." He muttered.

"Shut up, we're almost there."

A couple more minutes passed before she poked his back, indicating they could land. Steven sighed in relief the moment they touched the ground, his wings immediately retreating into his back.

Amethyst took hold of his wrist and guided him over a large hill. What they saw once they trudged over the peak caused Steven to freeze in his tracks.

"What is that?"

Any vegetation past a point had decayed into coarse dirt and stone, tall hills cracked down the sides to create short dead valleys between. Amongst the cracks were giant spider-like machines dug into the rock.

The pair ventured into the largest valley. Despite Amethyst's eagerness to be there, Steven felt uneasy. It felt.. familiar. Eerily familiar.

"What is this place?" He glanced at Amethyst with a look that was desperate for answers.

"Welcome to... the Kindergarten!"

"I was made here!" She grinned, running through a maze of machinery. Not wanting to lose sight of her and end up alone in a place like this, he rushed to catch up with her.

"You were made here?!" He ducked under one of the spider-like machines as he struggled to catch up with her. When he emerged from underneath it, Amethyst was leaning on a boulder.

"Hey look, Steven! It's my climbing rock!" She pointed at it with her thumb. Bewildered, he glanced around.   
"And over there is my sitting rock, and over there is a rock that I split into two rocks." She gestured to a cracked boulder a few feet away.

"Oh, look! It's the hole I came out of!" Enthusiastic, she hopped over to a hole in the hillside. "It's me size!" She giggled as she fell back into it.

"The what you came out of?!" Steven gripped his hair with his hands in complete confusion.  
"It's my hole!" She exclaimed, bursting out from inside it. "I was made in this hole!"

Steven paused.   
"But if you came out of this hole..."  
His gaze travelled over the hundreds upon thousands of other person-shaped holes all perfectly lined up with each other, spanning across miles of decayed land. His eyes widened as his heart sank.

"Who came out of those other ones?"

Suddenly Steven heard the warp behind them activate, and he quickly whipped his head around.

"Amethyst!"

It was Pearl. She did not look happy.

"Uh oh, here comes the fun police." Amethyst retorted moodily.   
"There you two are!" Pearl jogged over to the pair of them, skimming past Steven and leaning over Amethyst.

"You brought Steven to a Kindergarten?!"

"Yeah, we were in the neighbourhood." She replied with a snarky tone.   
"Tell that to my wings..." Muttered Steven quietly. "Pearl, was Amethyst really made here?" He turned to look at her.

"How much did you tell him?!" Pearl didn't reply to Steven, but instead turned to snap at Amethyst.   
"What? You mean about the bad thing?" Amethyst feigned innocence. "How this is a bad place where bad gems came to grow more bad gems? Is that what you're talking about?!"

"They grew other gems here?!" Steven looked at Pearl for answers, but got none.   
"Amethyst, he isn't ready!" Pearl hissed.

Steven scowled at this. Wasn't ready? Ready for what? Hadn't he been training for years?

"Ready for what, Pearl?" He said lowly. Pearl bent forward slightly to meet his eyes, placing both her hands on his shoulders.   
"You never should have seen this place- I can't understand why Amethyst would bring you to this horrible place." She said to him.

"If you hate it here so bad then why don't you just leave?!" Screamed Amethyst, summoning her whip and launching it at Pearl. It wrapped around her thin frame, narrowly missing Steven, before thrusting her high into the air.

Shocked, Steven wasted no time in jumping high into the air, his wings bursting from his back as he caught Pearl. Before he could lower them both to the ground, two whips wrapped around each one of them. His wings were caught in the rope and they began to plummet, before the separate whips tore them apart and launched them in different directions.

They crashed into the dirt, but Pearl wasted no time getting back up and summoning her spear.   
"Amethyst! I don't want to fight you!" She tried to reason, but Amethyst didn't relent.   
"I wouldn't wanna fight me either!" She growled in response, baring her whips menacingly. She spun on her heel and her whip flew in Pearl's direction as she elegantly dodged Amethyst's attack, the whip instead slicing two legs off of one of the spider-like machines. It balanced, barely.

The fight continued, and Steven struggled to find ways to stop it. There was no water anywhere! In a moment of desperation he pressed his palms to the ground, searching for an underground spring or water source he could burst through the dirt.

Pearl blocked both of Amethyst's whips with her spear, the ends wrapping around the side of her spear. 

"Amethyst, stop! You can't beat me!"

"I. Don't. Care! I'm not going to let you stand there and let you remind me of everything I hate about myself!"

Choking on a sob on the last note, a torrent of violet flames shot down the length of her whips, exploding into a brilliant purple as it reached Pearl. She was immediately flung back as a result of the impact, slamming into the previously damaged machine. The fighting pair had failed to spot Steven beneath the machine. They failed to spot it begin to topple over, heading directly for him as he crouched in the dirt. 

Steven had managed to catch a sense of an underground current only seconds before he heard the creaking of metal and rust. His eyes shot up, only to see the giant structure hurtling directly towards him, Pearl and Amethyst too distracted by their fight to notice. 

A scream of terror tore the attention away from the fight. Pearl and Amethyst whipped their heads around just in time to see the structure collapse onto the boy. 

"Steven!" They cried in unison.

Their weapons dissipated into light, and they began to rush over to the broken machine. Before they could make it halfway there, the sound of the metal legs snapping froze them in place. The collapsed structure began to stir, before it was suddenly flung a hundred feet away by a large menacing hand of water. 

Steven got to his feet, and before the gems had managed a sigh of relief the hand had split into two, stretching towards them picking them both up and hanging them off the ground. 

"I'm getting really sick and tired of being flung about like a ragdoll!" He scolded. "I've been here a full ten minutes and I've been thrown into the ground and crushed by a falling robot. Now will someone please tell me what's going on?! I hate seeing you two fighting like this!"

Amethyst and Pearl looked away in shame, blushes spreading across their cheeks. 

"This place was built thousands of years ago for the creation of new gems, but... the means they went to to do it were... harmful, to say the least. They sucked the life out of the surrounding area, and..." Pearl trailed off, and Steven spotted Amethyst's deep resentful scowl. 

"Yeah it was really horrible, huh? I'm sorry you have to put up with parasites like me!" Amethyst shouted, causing Pearl to flinch. 

"Amethyst..." She whispered, seeing the tears in her eyes. "I had no idea you felt this way..."

"You didn't?! Ha! This is like, my entire existence!" Amethyst slapped her hand on the water that kept her hoisted in the air. "You wanna pretend that none of this ever happened- you think I'm just a big mistake!"

"No, no, Amethyst! You're not the mistake, you're just a by-product of a... big... mistake..."

Amethyst glared at her through her tears. 

"No, that's not- that's not what I..." Pearl sighed. "I just never thought of this as you. None of this is your fault! You didn't build this place! I... I'm sorry, Amethyst. I hope you can forgive me... you're the one good thing that came out of this mess. I always thought you were proud of that." She smiled. 

"You can put us down now, Steven..." Sniffled Amethyst. 

He cautiously lowered them to the ground next to each other, relieved that they had managed to talk without fighting. Amethyst's eyes were covered by her hair as Pearl attempted to comfort her. It was brief, but her wrapped her arms around Pearl's thin stomach in a fierce hug, and she didn't hesitate to hug back. They were at peace.

They could go home.


	10. Connie's Epiphany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie realises her feelings for Steven.

"I'm telling you, you're going to love him!" Connie squealed as she jogged across the sand, her new friend from school trailing behind .  
"You said he has... super powers? And the three ladies who live with him do too?" He asked doubtfully. Connie grinned.

She had only become acquainted with Jeff pretty recently- turns out they had many common interests, and they made quite good friends. So of course Connie couldn't help but tell him about the coolest thing going on in her life- Steven Universe. She had tried to explain as best she could the situation with the gems and Steven's status as a half gem, but unsurprisingly it was difficult for Jeff to grasp immediately. That's when Connie invited him along with her to watch Steven train with Amethyst as they tend to do on Saturdays.

"How come I've never seen him at school?" Jeff asked.  
"Oh Steven doesn't go to school. He's training for like a war against Homeworld or something? Details are unclear." Connie shrugged. They had just arrived at the edge of the temple, and Jeff stared up in awe at the vast size of it.  
"Cool, right?" She smirked.  
"Right..."

As if on cue, Steven stepped out of his beach house, fiddling with the strap of a small pouch. It was a hot day, so he had shed his hoodie and was in his black shirt and jeans.  
"Steven!" Connie called out, waving at him wildly from the further end of the beach. Steven's head snapped up, a big smile forming on his face as he spotted her. He vaulted over the railing of his porch and hopped down onto the sand, jogging over to the pair.

"Hey, Connie!" They hugged each other tightly before he turned his attention to Jeff. "Who's your friend?" He asked.  
"Oh, this is Jeff. He's from my class, and I felt like you two would get along, so I thought I'd introduce you." Connie grinned at Steven as he chuckled.  
Jeff held out his hand.  
"Nice to meet you, Steven."  
Steven shook his hand, echoing his words.

"So what do you have there?" Connie asked, indicating to the pouch he still held in his left hand.  
"Oh!" He held it out to her. "Well I was thinking- what if I'm in battle, and there's no water nearby? I'm pretty much helpless, so, I thought why not just bring the water with me, in a pouch?"  
Jeff looked at them both in confusion.  
"Water? Like... to drink, right?" He asked sceptically. Connie and Steven laughed.  
"No, Steven's got hydrokinesis, that's why he needs the water to fight." She glanced at Steven. "Though I still don't get what you're going to do with such a small amount, usually you need like a river or the ocean."

"Hey wait, what's hydro-a-what-now?" Jeff interrupted.  
"Connie's fancy way of saying I control water. Gems usually can just summon weapons but my powers are a bit different." Steven smiled.  
"Can I... can I see?" Jeff looked between Connie and Steven. She immediately perked up at his question.  
"Oh- his powers are so cool! He has these super amazing wings made out of water that he can actually fly with! It's like he came straight out of a book!" She rambled excitedly. Steven blushed bashfully.  
"Aw, shucks."  
"Now this I gotta see!" Jeff stared at Steven expectantly.

"Hey, maybe we can head to the training arena first? I wanna show Connie what I plan to do with the water pouch." Steven scratched the back of his head sheepishly.  
"Oh, sure!" 

The three of them stepped off of the warp pad and onto the floating arena. Amethyst was already laying back on the observation area, her eyes shut in relaxation.  
"Hey Amethyst." Said Steven casually as he walked over to the newly installed weapon rack. Her eye opened a crack as she grinned.  
"Sup, Ste-man! Here to get your butt kicked again?"  
"Well why else would I come here?" He deadpanned as he examined the swords. Connie snickered, and Jeff couldn't help but grin at their interaction.

Amethyst stood up from the observation area and stretched her back out, pulling her hair into a ponytail. Jeff's cheeks reddened slightly as he nudged Connie.  
"Who's that?" He whispered to her.  
"That's Amethyst. She's one of the Crystal Gems, and has an obsession with beating Steven in a fight. Which, with the lack of water here, is probably more likely than usual." She frowned as Jeff nodded.  
"She's really pretty." Jeff said as casually as he could.  
"Yeah, all the gems are. Wish I was too..." She shrugged.  
"You're pretty too. A lot, actually..." He trailed off, both their cheeks a fiery red.

Connie looked at Jeff, then quickly looked away, her eyes landing on Steven's tall, thin form. He was the first friend she ever really had... and he brought all kinds of excitement and wonder into her life. Not to mention he was funny, kind, sweet, sensitive... and, well, pretty easy on the eyes. It surprised her when he even gave her the time of day. But after getting to know Steven, she realised that maybe he was lonely too.

They had each other, and that was more than enough. Right?

She slyly turned to look at Jeff. They didn't really know each other all that well... they just liked the same books. Connie didn't peg him as the flirty type, so this felt a little surprising. She began to fiddle with the fabric of her white shirt. Maybe he wasn't flirting? It was probably just a friendly compliment.

Yeah, nothing more than a friendly compliment.

Either way, her feelings for Steven were undeniable. Her eyes trailed over to him once more, seeing Amethyst pull him down and ruffle his already poofy hair. She giggled when he finally managed to yank the gem off of him, his dark hair sticking up in all different directions, his brows furrowed in mock anger.

"Oh, you're on." Steven glared at Amethyst as she stuck her tongue out. He snorted and walked over to Connie and Jeff, tying the water pouch to his waist.  
"So I thought of some new fighting techniques I thought you might enjoy." Steven smiled.  
"Yeah- I still don't know what you're planning to do with that little amount of water."

Steven grinned cockily. "Well," he started, explaining his tactics in as much detail as he could.  
Connie's eyes widened in intrigue as he explained his ideas while Jeff just continued to listen in confusion.  
"I think it's better if I just show you." Steven hopped backwards into the centre of the arena, Amethyst already preparing herself to fight.

"Watch and learn, Stevie." In a brilliant flash of violet light, Amethyst's whip was ready in her hand. She lowered her body into a fighting stance, Steven doing the same. Jeff watched in awe as the fluid from his pouch extended into the air and swirled above Steven's head, the little amount of water suddenly looking like much more. Amethyst's lips curved into a grin, and in a flash her whip had jabbed out in front of her, the sharp end hurling towards Steven.

He hopped backward, narrowly dodging the end. The water above him split off into dozens of shards of ice, all aiming towards an increasingly nervous Amethyst. One after the other, they rained down on top of her as she expertly dodged by cartwheeling back, a couple sharp point nicking her clothes and tearing them slightly.

Twice as determined to take him down, she burst forward, sprinting towards Steven whilst her whip reeled back behind her. With a yelp of surprise, Steven hopped into the sky, his wings sprouting from his back and carrying him higher into the air.

"Woah!" Cried out Jeff, Connie grinning knowingly.

Irritated by Steven's dodge, Amethyst yanked her whip in front of her and into the sky, the end wrapping around Steven's waist. He barely had time to yelp before he was crashed into the ground, dust and debris spreading throughout the arena.

Connie and Jeff coughed harshly, but Amethyst just smirked in victory. She failed to notice the ice shards melting back into water, the remains trickling towards the crevice where Steven was. A split second later, Steven burst out from the rocks he was trapped under, his wings out and his clothes torn and dirty. He flew higher into the air, the water from the ice shards swirling around him threateningly.

Amethyst frowned and summoned another whip.  
"You're impossible!" She shouted.  
"I know!" He laughed.

The water formed a long chain, and before Amethyst could react, it had wrapped itself around her chest, wrists and ankles and nailed itself into the ground. A moment later, it had turned to ice. 

She struggled for a few seconds before slumping down in defeat.  
"Fine, you got me! I'll give you your shoes back." Amethyst said reluctantly. Steven floated down and hovered above her, brushing dirt off of his arms and shirt.  
"Can we bet on something different next time? I don't want to have to buy more shoes." He retorted. He melted the chains and the water retreated back into his pouch as Amethyst stretched her limbs out.

Steven turned to look at his spectators, laughing as he saw their star struck expressions, Amethyst joining in as she noticed too.

"You guys were incredible!" Exclaimed Connie, rushing over and engulfing them both in a hug. They happily hugged back, Jeff awkwardly sauntering over.  
"Connie's right- that was pretty awesome. I've never seen anything like it!" He said, causing a slight colouring to come to both Steven and Amethyst's cheeks.

"I'm flattered." Steven smiled, rubbing the back of his head instinctively.  
"I can't believe people can actually have superpowers! It's unheard of!" Jeff gushed.  
"Well... we're not technically people, per say." Amethyst said awkwardly. This got Jeff's attention.

"What?"

Steven and Amethyst pulled down the top of their shirts to show Jeff their gems, eliciting a squeak of surprise from him.  
"We're not humans, we're gems!" Said Amethyst proudly. "Well, apart from Ste-man over here, who's half human." She nudged his side playfully and he snorted.  
"Well now I'm just confused." Jeff deadpanned. "So those gems in your bodies give you your powers?"

"Kind of? It's like, we are the gem. Like if it gets too damaged, we die!" She said enthusiastically. "Dunno about Steven though, because he's a flesh sack."

"What Amethyst is trying to say is that gems are the actual stone, and their bodies are a manifestation of light- if their bodies are too damaged, they poof back into their gemstone until they're fine again. But since I'm half human, I don't, well, poof. I do the human thing and just die when I'm too damaged." Steven corrected Amethyst.

As per usual, the conversation of describing what gems are and their properties lasted more than Steven had accounted for. 'This is getting old,' he thought. Obviously he was glad that more humans were becoming interested in their cause, but having to explain everything constantly became tedious. He concluded that he'd just ask Pearl to print a pamphlet or something.  
Twenty minutes later, Jeff was up to speed. 

"I must say, it's a lot to process." He concluded, and Connie snickered. 

"It took ages for me to understand it." She said. "Honestly I didn't really believe it until I saw it with my own eyes." She adjusted her glasses as she said this. 

"I'm actually surprised I managed to summarise everything in the span of ten minutes when we first met." Retorted Steven. 

"Because that's when you fell in lo-o-ove with her!" Teased Amethyst, causing a furious blush to form on his cheeks. After a second his face fell deadpan, and his wings sprouted from his back. The water from the wing closest to her formed a fist, punching her across the arena. 

Jeff and Connie watched with wide eyes as she crashed into a pillar, causing it to collapse, despite her emerging from it a moment later still laughing. Amethyst burst forward, racing towards Steven and tackling him to the ground. Jeff and Connie watched in amusement as the two gems wrestled on in the dirt. 

Jeff thought about the events leading to this, and it didn't sit right with him. Steven clearly liked Connie- you'd have to be blind not to see it. But, in truth, he disliked the idea of the two of them ever getting together. Jeff liked Connie, and was confident he'd get her to like him back. Despite thinking that Steven was a nice person, he wouldn't let him win Connie's affection. 

He grinned at Connie, and she grinned back. 

Yeah. He wasn't going to let Steven win this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly this chapter was only to introduce Jeff as a character- he does end up playing a pretty important role in the progression of the story later on.


	11. Marble Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie's grandparents want to meet her. Steven and the Crystal Gems encounter a problem with machinery.

"I've got to hand it to you, this series is a lot better than I had first bargained for."

Steven sat up on the couch, placing the still open book onto the coffee table. Connie giggled and adjusted her glasses. The pair lay lazily on Connie's couch (her parents forbade them from going into her room) as she explained to him the premise of her favourite book series.

"Spoiler alert, the ending is terrible." Connie rolled her eyes as annoyance crept into her voice. "I'm not gonna tell you what happens, but prepare for major disappointment."

Steven hummed in acknowledgement. He was halfway through the last book, and frankly he was enjoying it more than he had expected. Pearl had always tried to get him into reading more, but it never really interested him as much as playing video games, for example. Well, at least until he met Connie.

They were interrupted as Connie's mother walked through the door from the kitchen.

"Connie." She said flatly.

Connie glanced up and raised a brow in confusion at her mother's tone. She enquired about this, and Priyanka only sighed.

"I need to speak to you in the kitchen."

Her daughter nodded and turned to Steven, who only smiled and gestured that he'd be alright. She hopped up from her position on the couch and followed Priyanka into the kitchen.

Priyanka shut the door behind her.

"Is everything alright, ma'am?"

"No. My parents have requested to... meet you. Tonight, over dinner."

Connie's eyes widened. Her grandparents? They had always been a sore subject for her mother- it was impossible to bring them up without Priyanka becoming incredibly irritated. Despite her being extremely close to her grandparents on her father's side, her mother's side had always been a mystery- they had never even met!

Her mind drifted to her father. She had vague information on why her mother wasn't close to her parents, but she knew it had something to do with her father. Anishka and Dakshesh Laghari hadn't approved of Priyanka's choice for a husband, and hadn't wanted anything more do to with her after the wedding. It explained why Priyanka hadn't bothered to introduce Connie to her grandparents.

"What... what about Dad? Is he coming?"

"Yes, my parents have decided to... give him a second chance." Her mother's voice was unbelievably strained, clearly holding back a lot of repressed anger. "They wish to meet their granddaughter."

"Okay, I'll.. I'll go get ready..." Connie breathed. 

When she walked back into the living room, she noticed Steven looking worried as he looked down at his phone.

"Is everything alright?" She asked. Steven looked up.

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, everything's fine, the gems just need help getting rid of more of those marble things. They keep coming back bigger and stronger, and it's getting difficult to get rid of them." He said, standing from the couch and tucking his book under his arm.

"What about you? Your mom looked pretty serious." He smiled with a tilt of his head. Connie signed and shoved her hands in the pockets of the hoodie she had stolen from Steven (he didn't mind, he had plenty).

"My grandparents want to meet me tonight, and I'm super nervous."

His expression changed to one of concern.

"Well that's understandable. You don't want to make a bad impression." He walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But I know you won't because you're sweet and kind and they're gonna love you. Okay?"

Despite herself, Connie couldn't help but grin at his words.

"Thanks, Steven."

"No problem. And remember, you'll be fine!"

He turned and exited through the front door, his wings sprouting from his back.

"Bye Connie, bye Dr. Maheswaran!" He called out as the pair waved him goodbye. A moment later, he was flying away into the afternoon sky. 

Connie's parents were dead silent in the car. Any attempt at conversation had fallen flat, and Connie had resorted to simply staring out the car window as the drove over a seemingly endless amount of hills. Why did her grandparents have to live so ridiculously far?

In order to make the best impression she could, she had been stuffed into an uncomfortable dark blue dress by her mother, and her fluffy hair swept up into a neat bun. She shuffled slightly in her seat and adjusted her black stockings, frowning at how awkward the excessively feminine clothing felt on her body.

Fifty minutes into the car ride, they finally were only a couple blocks away from the neighbourhood her grandparents lived in. Connie marvelled at how incredibly expensive every passing house looked, realising how rich her mother must have been growing up.

They pulled up at the house.

Well, mansion.

The three walked up to the giant iron gate and rang the buzzer, awaiting to be let inside. 

The warp robot was crushed under the intense pressure of the hand of water, its turquoise goo exploding all over the surrounding beach, covering Amethyst head to toe. Steven winced from his position in the air.

"Sorry, Amethyst!" He shouted, but Amethyst just laughed.

"Nicely done, Ste-man! Now I can cover Pearl in all this gunk!" She called back, causing Pearl to squeal in fright.

"Amethyst, don't you dare!"

Steven watched in amusement as Amethyst chased Pearl around the beach, the large hand of water retreating back into the ocean. He gently landed on the sand, his wings glistening in the golden light of the setting sun. Garnet placed a hand on her chin thoughtfully as he sauntered over to her.

"What're you thinking about?" He asked.

"We destroyed the galaxy warp, but Peridot keeps sending them from space. I still can't understand why."

"Maybe to fix the warp?" He tried, but Garnet shook her head.

"No, their landings are too far from the broken warp . They must be looking for something else."

Steven glanced at the destroyed reminiscence of their previous fight, shattered marble and goo littering the coastline. These robots had to have a purpose, right? Surely Peridot wasn't just sending them out of spite.

"They just keep coming!" Steven groaned. "We can't fight these things forever! Well we can but I don't want to." He pouted. "Next time we get another one showing up at our doorstep, let's try following it to see where it goes. These things are here for a reason, and we're going to find out why."

Garnet nodded, and the two of them headed inside, leaving Amethyst outside to chase Pearl around. 

A servant met them at the front gate, and Connie couldn't help but gulp at how very formal everything was. The perfectly trimmed lawn, the spotless glass windows, and the unspoken expectations only piled on to her anxiety. She glanced over and noticed her mother walking uncharacteristically close to her, her expression stony. Her father on the other hand seemed uncharacteristically nervous, his hands firm by his sides to keep from trembling.

The servant led them to the dining room, the walls built from expensive marble and the chandelier emitting a strong light, illuminating the grant room.

Connie's eyes landed on the figures stood in the centre of the room, their dark wrinkled skin, expensive jewellery and expressions of bitter judgement causing her to frown. They hadn't spoken a word yet, and she already disliked them.

Anishka's face brightened slightly at the sight of her daughter, but Priyanka's face remained the same.

"Priyanka, my daughter." She spoke with a heavy accent as she beckoned her over. Connie absentmindedly shuffled closer to her father.

"Mother."

Their contact was brief before her focus had turned to her father. Dakshesh paid little attention to his daughter, instead deciding to stare down Doug, his face expressionless.

"Father." Priyanka snapped, and he turned to look at her.

"You've become successful, my girl. I couldn't be prouder of my daughter becoming a doctor." He said, but once again Priyanka's expression stayed the same. "It's a shame people must refer to you as 'Dr. Maheswaran'. Why must you take that... embarrassment's name instead of our respected family name?" Dakshesh's tone turned was sour, and Connie almost gasped at his words.

An unexpected rage built up inside her, and the urge to defend her father was overwhelming. The room's atmosphere decayed from tense, to angry. Connie was almost irritated that her father didn't speak up for himself, instead deciding to sigh in defeat and look away with resentment. She glanced up at Priyanka's now scowling look, and decided to speak herself.

"How can you say that?" Connie narrowed her eyes at Dakshesh, ignoring the look of sudden panic on Priyanka's face.

"You must be Kahani." Her grandfather mirrored her expression, turning his nose up condescendingly. "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but... clearly you haven't been disciplined properly, and it'd be unfair to blame that on you." His glare turned to Doug.

"I'll have you know my father is a brilliant parent, which is certainly more than I can say for you." She scoffed. "I came here to try to connect with my grandparents, but it's clear you only invited us to take your anger out on my dad! And it's Connie, by the way."

Dakshesh was quick to infuriate. His cheeks turned a violent crimson as he glared at Connie.

"I see you not only inherited your big nose from your father, but also your disrespect and sharp mouth!" His voice was teeming with fury as he spat his words.

Connie's heart plummeted at his words, and for some reason she couldn't find her voice.

She could hear her mother scolding Dakshesh, but her emotions were in turmoil, too much to actually listen to what was being said. The moment the yelling began, she turned on her heel and sprinted out the door, and onto the street.

Holding back tears, she gasped as she spotted Lion licking his paws on the lawn.

"Lion!"

She rushed over to the big blue feline, burying her face in his mane. After a moment, she hopped onto his back and clung to him, tears beginning to leak from her eyes.

"Take me to Steven." 

Amethyst's whip tightened around the giant marble robot, her grip only becoming more forced the more it struggled. Steven tried to wrangle it by creating a rope with the water from his pouch, but it turns out water isn't quite as solid as... well, a solid. Instead he sat on top of it, trying to get another of Amethyst's whips around it, desperately trying not to topple off.

"It's like trying to wrangle a bull!" He shouted through grit teeth. "And there's no water out here!"

They were, in fact, in the middle of a desert. Garnet's future vision predicted it'd be there, so they then found themselves in the middle of nowhere, trying to fight a big marble robot. Steven found it typical.

After a few more minutes of trying to get it to stop struggling (it felt much like much longer than that), it finally seemed to calm down. After a tired sigh of victory, the four of them all hopped onto its back and let it walk where it wanted to, eager to find out its purpose.

It breezed through the desert, leaving almost a mile of sand behind them as it approached the warp pad. Their minds began reeling with different possibilities as to where it could be going as it reached the shiny pad. They were transported through a warp stream, their anticipation building by their seconds.

Their hearts sunk as the warp stream disappeared, and they were met with the horrifying sight of the Prime Kindergarten.

Amethyst held onto Pearl's arm in an attempt to find comfort as the robot trudged through the dirt. They huddled together as it travelled deeper and deeper into the eerie incubation site. Steven felt awkward and frankly scared being there. Not only because of what the Kindergarten was, but especially after the events of last time he was there. However he was slightly comforted by the fact that there was water flow under the dirt- it meant he had some means to defend himself if things were to go south.

Suddenly, the robot stopped.

Spooked, the gems quickly hopped off of its back, three landing in the dirt and Steven hovering over it sceptically. The robot began to tremble, its form wavering. Then in a great flash of light, the round shape of its body morphed into a pyramid-like shape, its point facing down. Like a drill, it slammed into the ground, digging deeper and deeper before disappearing from view.

"What are you standing there for? Let's go!" Said Steven, diving first into the hole, his wings pulled closer towards him in order to actually fit. With a surprised yelp, the other three gems hopped in after him.

They landed at the bottom, staring around the room in wonderment.

"What is this place?" Pearl said to nobody in particular. Taking up most of the room was a large green crystal-like structure with what looked like a projector in the middle. Steven walked over to the steps leading up to it, noticing a puddle on the ground. He glanced up above the puddle, seeing small drops of water leaking from the ceiling. That meant there was more water above it. He took a mental note of this as he walked further up the steps.

"Steven, are you sure it's a good idea to-" Pearl was cut off as the projector shot a bright beam of light into the air, before becoming a strange hexagonal shape. It was... a screen? It showed static for a split second, before revealing Peridot's face.

The three gems yelped and quickly hid behind the steps, out of view of her, but Steven didn't quite make it in time.

"Hello?" She spoke.

"Hiiiiii!" Steven said awkwardly as he turned around, a nervous sweat forming on his forehead. Peridot leaned over to her left.

"There appears to be an infestation of- what are you, exactly?"

"My name's Steven, what's yours?" He screamed internally, disbelieving that those words were actually coming from his mouth.

"There appears to be an infestation of 'Stevens' in the Kindergarten."

"Ah, I'm not so bad once you get to know me!" He cringed even further.

"And how many more Stevens are present in this area?"

"Oh... just me!"

"Well that's a relief... so tell me, have Stevens replaced humans as the dominant species on Earth?" Peridot's dark pupils bore into his own, and he began to panic.

"No, there's lots of humans! There's my dad, Connie, Lars and Sadie, the mailman, Onion... I think? Now, uh, what are you doing?" It was safe to say that Steven felt like an idiot.

"Hm. Just picking up where we left off." Peridot's voice echoed through the room. Steven heard a crack, and saw two huge mechanical hands emerge from the walls.

"Uh... what's that?"

Peridot didn't bother replying, instead her focus had seemed to be on something else. One of the large hands raised high above Steven, casting a shadow over his face. His fight or flight response only kicked in when he saw it form a fist.

Moments before it could squash him, Garnet hopped out from behind her hiding space, catching the fist with her gauntlets and throwing it back at Peridot.

"Gems!" She shouted, her eyes wide and sporadic with panic.

Pearl and Amethyst followed suite, and Peridot only seemed to become more agitated.

"Uh, more?! But the Red Eye didn't report the presence of any gems on this planet!"

"That's because we destroyed it!" Called back Pearl, and Peridot yelped in frustration.

"You what?! But the records say that all gems were wiped out on Earth! Wait a minute... you're the ones that have been destroying my plug robonoids! Are you the reason the Homeworld warp is down, again?! Is this your bizarre icon?!" She showed them the crying breakfast friends sticker with an infuriated groan.

"Why do you keep destroying my things?!"

"Because we are the Crystal Gems!" Pearl didn't hesitate to reply, threateningly pointing her spear at her. "We're still alive, and we're still the guardians of this planet and all its living creatures!"

"...what?"

Steven had heard enough.

Within the second, the gallons of water above them came crashing down, effectively destroying every piece of technology that Peridot had with its intense weight. A bubble of air formed around the four of them, keeping them safe from the water's destructive power. A moment later the room went dark, indicating it had been eradicated.

The water swirled around them, trickling under their feet until it lifted them off the ground and carried them up through the deep hole they had come in from. Steven sighed as they went higher through the hole, and the gems sighed too.

"Good job, Steven." Garnet placed a hand in his fluffy hair. He smiled halfheartedly up at her before they reached the top, and were once again met with the depressing sight of the Prime Kindergarten. They stepped off the water platform, and headed over to the warp pad, ready to go home. 

Connie sighed sadly when nobody answered the door. The sun had long set, and honestly she wasn't surprised that Steven hadn't answered. Maybe he was asleep, or on a mission. Feeling defeated, she turned and began to walk down the steps leading to his porch, but froze when she heard the warp pad activate. She ran back up, seeing a yawning Steven step off the pad, the other three gems heading in the other direction into the temple. She sheepishly knocked on the glass door again, this time catching Steven's attention.

A broad grin formed on his tired face as he jogged over to open the door for her.

"Hey, Con- woah, are you alright?"

He must have noticed her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks (it was honestly difficult not to notice), because his expression quickly changed into one of worry. Connie didn't reply, and Steven quickly found himself engulfed in a hug, arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she buried her face into his hoodie. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her too, and they cuddled in his doorway for what felt like an eternity.

"What happened?" He whispered as they pulled apart.

"They weren't willing to change... my grandfather is awful." Her hand subconsciously drifted to her nose. "He's the most judgemental man I've ever met." She scoffed.

Steven frowned for a moment, but then smiled comfortingly.

"Well I can't imagine what he'd possibly judge you on- you're amazing! I mean you're pretty and smart and sweet..." He trailed off. Connie's cheeks heated up as she giggled.

"Thank you..." She leaned in closer to him, and without thinking, Steven found himself leaning closer too. Her hands found themselves on his shoulders as they closed the distance. However just before their lips could meet, an obnoxious ringing exploded from Connie's pocket.

They jumped apart.

Connie fumbled for her phone, looking at the caller ID.

"It's my mom..." She said weakly.

"Yeah..." He stammered.

After getting off the phone with her mother, she took a breath and turned to look at Steven, who was stood awkwardly.

"I should really get going- Lion'll take me home." She said. Steven offered to fly her home, but she shook her head.

"No, you're tired. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch though, and you'd better have finished the book!" She taunted, causing him to laugh.

They embraced one more time, and Steven watched from his porch as she hopped into Lion and bounded towards Connie's house, his heart still beating out of his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2020 everyone! 
> 
> And to the person who said I should bring Connie to life a little more, I hope this chapter is what you imagined. :)


	12. Lazuli's Quiver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven discovers his mother's weapon.

His breath was the only sound he could hear. Slow, deep, thoughtful breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

"Got it?"

Steven looked up at Pearl and nodded. She handed him the oxygen mask and ruffled his hair. In one swift movement, he brushed his dark curls away from his eyes and quickly pulled the mask over his head. He cautiously adjusted the straps as Pearl instructed him on how to do so.

Sparing a quick glance on his spectators back on the beach, he leaned over the cliffside, looking at the ocean down below.

"So... you said Mom only managed it once?" He said sceptically to Pearl, his voice muffled by his mask. It was a strange oxygen mask- it didn't have any tanks actually containing oxygen, but Pearl had said that it converted other gases into oxygen when the air got too thin, allowing him to breathe without any problems. He still didn't understand how it worked, but she assured him it was safe.

"Yes, and it took decades of practice. However I have no doubt that with your skill you'll be able to do it no problem!" She clasped her hands together as she explained. Steven's eyes narrowed.

"Yep, no problem..." He muttered.

The other gems along with his dad and Connie were waiting on the beach below, wanting to see whether his attempt would be successful or not.

Breaking the sound barrier was no easy feat after all.

Pearl had told him that his mother had flown faster than the speed of sound once, and he felt as though it'd be honouring her legacy to do what she had done once. It wasn't going to be simple, per say, and precautions definitely had to be taken.

For example, he had to be fitted a flight suit and oxygen mask to deal with the incredible speeds, and had to partake in regular breathing exercises to adjust his lungs to the low air capacity.

With a final wave to his observers below and a quick nod to Pearl, he took a running start towards the cliff edge. 

With an elegant leap, he dived off the edge, tumbling towards the water so fast his ears began to whistle as he picked up speed. Just moments before crashing into the ocean, his wings protruded from his back, catching the air and lifting his body above the water, causing a shockwave to ripple through the calm ocean waters.

His wings flapped furiously as he began to gain altitude, the thinning air causing him to tap in to his breathing exercises. Within a few moments he had reached the lowest clouds, goosebumps forming on his skin from the cold. The flapping of his wings began to slow, and he straightened out his body as he reached the edge of the nearest cloud.

For a moment, everything was still, and everything was silent.

But a moment later, he was at gravity's mercy. Head first, he began to shoot down, his wings flat against his back to increase his aerodynamic structure. He fell faster, and faster, and faster, before reaching terminal velocity, tumbling through the sky thousands of feet per second.

His wings shot out to the side, beating against the wind as aggressively as he could manage. Terminal velocity was too slow. He needed to be faster.

Steven realised he was getting awfully close to the water's surface, so he swiftly straightened out, propelling above the ocean, his speed causing a tidal wave to spray out behind him.

He was close, he could feel it.

Heart hammering against its cage, he somehow managed to put his abundant nerves aside and push harder than he ever had before. Despite his wings being made from water, he could feel them aching, and a deep dark part of him was considering quitting. But, he couldn't. Not when he was this close. So he ignored the strain in his shoulders and flapped his wings faster than a bird escaping its predator.

Suddenly, an explosion.

Then, silence.

The whistle in his ears had stopped completely, and he couldn't even hear his own breathing anymore. The sounds of the lapping waves of the ocean below him ceased, and that's when he realised. All those sounds were behind him.

Literally behind him.

However it only lasted for a split second, before all the noise crashed onto him at once. His ears rang painfully, but he knew stopping flying so suddenly would be dangerous. His wings flared, the increased surface area catching the wind, acting almost as a makeshift parachute. His unimaginable speed faltered marginally, and the harsh winds that were previously beating against him retreated to a calm breeze. The tidal wave he had caused behind him collapsed back into the rest of the ocean, its residue spraying down like a cloudless rain. 

Steven hadn't really come to terms with what had just happened until he was halfway over to flying back to the shoreline.

He had flown faster than the speed of sound.

To reiterate, the SPEED OF SOUND.

Steven Universe, hybrid teenager, achieved what only heavy planes and trained pilots could with his flimsy pair of water wings. The adrenaline was still pumping through his veins as he approached the beach. A grin spread across his face as he heard whooping coming from the small crowd in the shoreline.

His feet met the sand, and he didn't hesitate to tear the mask and goggled off his face, leaving his hair spiking up in different directions like a wild crow's nest. His wings dissipated into his back as he leaned over, resting his hands on his knees as he gulped heavy breaths. For a moment he glanced up, seeing the ecstatic faces of the gems, his dad and Connie. However before they could get a word in edgewise, Steven threw his hands into the air and yelled;

"I DID IT!"

Connie was the first one to reach him, running over and throwing her arms around him in a tight hug- his exhausted body wasn't quite strong enough to carry both their weights, and they ended up toppling to the ground. Despite this, the pair couldn't stop laughing, and Connie couldn't help but look at him with pride.

"That was amazing!!" She gushed. He laughed awkwardly, a blush spreading on his flushed cheeks. 

After a short celebration on the beach, Steven was eager to get back inside and take off him uncomfortable flight suit (despite Connie saying he looked good in it). He was in his room in the temple changing since it provided more privacy than his actual room when he spotted something peculiar.

It wasn't often you'd find something out if the ordinary in the room- it was as simple as it could get. It seemed infinite; fluffy azure clouds as far as the eye could see. The ground was made from clouds, and some even stretched high into the air, waterfalls of crystal waters cascading down the sides and into small pools in the ground. It didn't surprise Steven that that was what his mother's room looked like, it did embody the things she stood for after all: flying in the clouds, and hydrokinesis.

Now that he'd inherited the room, he was surprised to see Lion inside it of all people (people? Lions? What?) just snoozing on a particularly fluffy cloud beside a small pond. After pulling his shirt over his head, he sauntered over, his expression twisted on confusion.

"Lion? How the hell did you get in here?"

The blue feline cracked an eye at him, staring it him blankly. A moment later he yawned, clearly uninterested in what Steven had to say. Steven frowned. Of course Lion was as uncaring as usual.

With a disappointed sigh, he turned away and headed over to the door, but paused when something strange appeared in the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around, his line of sight immediately landing on a rectangular shape just next to Lion's large paw.

Steven crept over and grabbed it, his confusion only growing as he realised what it was.

"A... quiver?"

It was empty, but he could see the dents of sharp arrowheads at the bottom. Something sparkled, and he reached inside. He jolted slightly as a gentle blue light formulated around his palm, quickly disappearing and leaving a long, shiny arrow in his hand. He lifted it, noticing it was made entirely of ice.

Spooked, he placed it back in the quiver and slung it over his shoulder. Sparing a quick glance to Lion's sleeping form, he quickly left the room. 

"Pearl?" He spoke as he stepped out into the living room. Pearl looked up from her cooking pot in the kitchen, her hair messy and her eyes frantic.

"Not now, Steven! I need to prepare dinner for all our guests, and I don't have nearly enough time! So whatever you have, just show me later!" She fumbled with her words. "Agh! The water won't even boil!"

Steven rolled his eyes and held the quiver out towards her, causing her to immediately freeze.

"This was Mom's, wasn't it?"

Pearl's hands momentarily flew to cover her mouth in what Steven assumed was shock. Tears glistened in her eyes before she took it from his hands and examined it.

"I can't believe it..." She stared into Steven's eyes. The eye contact made him uncomfortable, and a second later he glanced away. "Where did you find this?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"I think Lion got it? I was in my room in the temple and it was just... there." He left the details vague. Pearl simply kept looking back and forth between the quiver and its inherited owner, and he nodded at her to say what was on her mind.

"Your mother fought primarily with a bow and arrow- she found it easy to get her targets directly from the air. Despite it being just a bow, it was one of the most useful weapons we had. Not only could it just hit a single target, but she had managed to invent different typed of arrow that could create all sorts of damage!" She paused thoughtfully. "I haven't seen her bow in years..."

Suddenly, something in Steven's head clicked.

"Oh! I think I know where it could be!" 

After several minutes of persuasion (and, Steven reluctantly admits, a small bit of bribery and begging), Lion left the sanctity of Lazuli's room and groggily trudged into the living room, quickly plopping down on the hardwood and resuming his nap. Steven hopped into his mane, a moment later emerging with the thing he was looking for.

Pearl's eyes widened. There it was- the bow. A long, dark blue arc with curled edges, a white handle and golden string. It was exactly how she remembered it.

Her heart ached to see just how fitting it looked when Steven held it.

"Is this it?" He asked. She nodded, unsurprisingly misty-eyed. Her nimble fingers absently fiddled with the hem of the quiver.

"But... why was it inside Lion? Lazuli didn't have a lion... Does he have something to do with her?" Her voice seemed to rise in frustration, and Steven recoiled slightly.

"Oh, so that's why he's blue!" Came a voice.

The pair whipped their heads towards the door, seeing Amethyst and Garnet walk in. Seeing this, Pearl headed back into the kitchen area and attempted to resume her cooking. Steven realised she seemed distressed and gestured to let him take over, and she reluctantly complied.

"Lazuli didn't have a lion..." She whispered to herself. Amethyst heard her, and rolled her eyes.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Pearl, but she clearly did. All the signs are like, right there!" She motioned wildly at Lion. "All her stuff is in there! Steven showed me!"

"No! If Lapis had a lion, I would've known about it!"

Seeing things were escalating, Steven swiftly turned the stove off and stepped into the living room, feeling more anxious by the second.

"Lapis had many secrets. She kept things from all of us." Garnet interjected, trying to calm down Pearl, who was on the verge of hysteria.

"But not from me!" Pearl shot back, gripping the bow and quiver like vice. "I was the one she told everything! There's no way she'd keep something like this from me!"

"Hey, you're not the only one that misses her!" Huffed Amethyst.

Steven stepped forward sheepishly, a nervous smile on his face.

"Maybe she was just trying to protect you-" He tried, before Pearl whipped her head around to him, her face becoming furious.

"What would you know?!" She raised her fist, a jolt of terror shocking through Steven's body. His emotions were going haywire.

"YOU NEVER EVEN MET HER!" 

Multiple things happened at once; Pearl's fist collided with the wall inches away from Steven's head, and startled, he reeled back, covering his head with his hands in a desperate attempt to shield himself from Pearl's blow.

Silence.

Pearl snapped out of her hazy rage, finally realising what she had just done.

Steven was staring at her with terrified, oh so painfully familiar sparkling blue eyes. His hands trembled as they clutched the gemstone in his chest, and tears cascaded from his eyes like a grieving waterfall. She quietly noticed that the water from the pasta pot had shot up into great spikes of ice.

Swallowing the lump in her throat (along with her shame), she turned and ran, her hands still gripped onto the bow and quiver. Just as she made it onto the warp pad and teleported away, she heard Amethyst call after her.

"Fine, go cry about it!" 

Ignoring Garnet and Amethyst's concerns for his wellbeing, Steven wiped the tears from his cheeks and sprinted forward, hopping onto the warp pad. He already knew where Pearl would go, now it was just the matter of finding her.

The last thing he saw before warping away was Garnet's worried expression. 

Connie walked in through the front door and frowned in confusion at Garnet and Amethyst's silent figures. She gestured to the kitchen.

"What happened to the water?" 

Steven struggled to catch up with Pearl as she ran away from him, shouting to leave her alone. Still tired from the flying he had done that afternoon, he couldn't fly fast enough to catch up to Pearl's running speed.

"Pearl, please! What happened back there?!" He called over, finally managing to fly at her same speed. She simply ignored him, refusing to even look at him.

She wanted to, she really did. She wanted to tell him everything- from his mother's legacy, to the never ending dull ache in her chest that appeared whenever she so much as looked at the painting in the living room. And now, Pearl couldn't even bear to look at him.

Everything about him was unbearably familiar.

It started out as little things. His gentle laugh, his sweet voice, his eyes... oh, stars, his eyes. They were the same mesmerising azure that reflected the purest mountain glacier, and contained the same passion and love for the world that his mother's once did.

Then it began to get worse. When he summoned his wings for the first time, saying that she was shocked was an understatement. They reflected her's so clearly it was like they were together again, and Pearl would watch as she elegantly flew through the skies. As Steven grew older, his personality seemed to reflect her's too.

Steven was so much like her, Pearl almost found it difficult to love him.

It was ridiculous, she knew that.

Even when she could swear she could her Lazuli's voice when he spoke, ever so slightly. Even when he'd look up at her with wonder and adoration in his baby blue eyes. Even when he'd be so enticed and passionate about a subject that he'd gesture wildly with his hands as he spoke, his speeches sounding like when Pearl and Lazuli had first come to Earth, seeing its beauty for the very first time.

And when he cried, he looked so much like Blue Di-

Her hands flew to cover her mouth, tears struggling to stay contained as she ran further and further away from him. 

"Leave me ALONE!" Pearl's voice rang out as she hopped onto a small floating isle that hung over the edge of the cliff they stood on. Gracefully, she leaped from one to the next, until she reached the final one, stationed at the highest point.

Steven became increasingly irritated as Pearl evaded his every attempt to talk to her. Wings straining painfully, he flew up to the highest isle, seeing Pearl knelt over the bow and quiver, her head ducked low.

"Pearl, you have to tell me what's wrong."

He was slightly taken aback when she chuckled. Her hands lowered from her mouth.

"You really do sound like her..."

She took a deep breath, picking up the quiver and holding it close to her chest. Steven sighed and crouched beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Sometimes... I wonder if she can see me through your eyes." She whispered. "Oh, what would she think of me now?"

"I... I don't know. I never even met her."

Pearl sighed, placing her hand over Steven's.

"I'm sure Mom loved you, Pearl. I know I couldn't possibly know that because I don't her, but..."

No, he didn't know her at all.

"I love you. So I know she did too." His voice was still the same.

Finally, years of bottled tears and bottled pain began to spill.

Steven was left to pick up the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll be honest this is hella rushed because I am trying super hard to get these chapters out asap so we can get to the more canon-divergent stuff. The next few chapters have already been written, so I'll post them all in bulk within the next few days. Hope you enjoyed!


	13. Interception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven becomes more involved with Jeff than he would've liked. A message from space is intercepted by the Wailing Stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big shout out to DSDUKE, who is my messiah. Please check out the stuff they write, it is genuinely amazing.

Steven soared over Ocean Town, staring down in confusion at the map app on his phone. It was marginally more difficult to follow road directions when flying above them, and he groaned for the third time as he made a wrong turn.

In hindsight, offering to pick Connie up from school probably wasn't the best idea.

He had no experience as to what school was even like, so he thought that going to get her and maybe having a look around would be a good idea. The reason he never actually went to school in the first place was because Pearl found the things they taught to be useless.

Honestly, Steven couldn't help but agree.

His knowledge of the universe was to a much larger degree than anything they could teach in high school, and due to his connections to the gems, school would take up too much of his time. He had a war to prepare for, after all. He had been for years.

His face lit up the moment the building came into view.

He drifted down and landed in front of the gate, his wings retreating into his back. Glancing around he couldn't spot Connie anywhere, so he took a moment to admire the large school. The building itself was huge- it even had three floors! There was a small courtyard out front where the gate was, and from his areal view earlier he remembered seeing a second smaller building, and an unbelievably enormous grass field stretching out behind the buildings. It wasn't nearly as tall as the temple, but he still couldn't help being impressed by its size.

Somewhat cautiously, he ventured in through the gate, walking slowly through the courtyard. It was less crowded than he had expected, but that was comforting. Steven wasn't a fan of huge crowds.

Concluding that Connie was simply late coming out from lesson, he found himself walking over to a message board and reading the news of the school.

However, there was one piece of paper that caught his eye.

It didn't seem like much at first, but upon closer inspection, Steven was baffled to see a picture of Lion on it. Underneath it read; "Vote Connie Maheswaran for junior prom queen, and Steven Universe for junior prom king!"

What.

His cheeks blushed pink at the drawing of a stick figure with wings and another with fluffy hair and glasses framed in a heart on the page.

What?!

Connie walked out from class and onto the courtyard, scanning the area for any sign of Steven. After a moment of searching, she quickly spotted him with his back to her near the message board. Her face brightened as she walked over. However it quickly fell as she realised what he was so focused on.

"Hey, Stev- oh no." He turned to her, his eyes wide and swimming with a million questions. "So you saw it, huh?" She laughed nervously. "I'd assume you'd have some questions..."

He nodded his head vigorously.

"Oh, um, just a few." Steven started. "But I'd say the most pressing one is, what the hell?!"

Connie cringed slightly before grabbing the paper and ripping it off the board.

"It's nothing! It's just..." She trailed off. "I was really late last week so I rode into school on Lion, and everyone saw, and suddenly I'm the super popular magical girl, and Jeff accidentally told someone about you, and it spread more and more until- ugh." She stopped the words tumbling from her mouth by face palming.

"In summary," she breathed. "Everyone's treating this like some sort of fairy tale, and really wants us to end up together."

Steven only stared at her, his face slack and confused. He spluttered for a full minute before gripping his already unruly hair.

"But- but why?! I don't even go to school!" His entire face had flushed pink. "How am I of all people supposed to be elected Prom King?!"

Connie couldn't help but giggle at his outburst, placing a hand on his shoulder. Steven sighed and hung his head down in exasperation. 

"I'm told some people are team Jeff though."

Steven's head snapped up at this, a stab of jealousy surging through him before dying down a split second later. He snorted indignantly. Before he could reply, they were interrupted by a girl that Connie recognised from one of her classes; her mood couldn't help but turn a little sour. Despite barely knowing her, Connie couldn't help but get the impression that this girl was more entitled and arrogant than she found tolerable, so she didn't hesitate to act suspicious of her.

"Steven!" She exclaimed, her blonde curls bouncing and her brown eyes sparkling. Steven's face immediately brightened.

"Oh wow, Elizabeth!" He replied, and the pair embraced in a short hug.

Connie couldn't help but stare, completely dumbfounded.

"It's been a while, huh? How have you been!" She said, completely ignoring Connie. She frowned.

"Yeah, I've been alright. I'm here to pick up Connie from school, so I better get going. It was nice seeing you though- we should catch up over ice cream some time!" Steven smiled, polite as always. Elizabeth grinned, punching his shoulder playfully.

"Sounds good!" She tucked her hair behind her ear. "See you later." 

Steven waved goodbye as he and Connie walked away, heading over to the front gate. For reasons Connie didn't want to confess, this left a sour taste in her mouth and a sinking feeling in her stomach. She glanced over at Steven, who met her gaze and gave her a handsome sideways smile. The sinking feeling quickly turned to butterflies. 

They stepped onto the pavement and Steven swept her off her feet, his wings bursting from his back. A moment later they were in the air, and Connie couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sound of her classmates gawking below. 

Steven started awake. A furious screeching filled his ears, and he swore the volume was causing them to bleed. In a futile attempt to save his hearing, he covered his ears as he hopped out of bed, annoyance creeping into his system as he spotted his alarm clock flashing 2:01am. Immediately he knew the location of the sound from its distinctive scream. 

The Wailing Stone. 

His ears hurt so much he felt little regard for his safety as he ignored the stairs and jumped out of the loft. He managed to sprint over to the communicator which sat in his living room, haphazardly shoving a couch cushion into its opening. 

The noise was muffled greatly, and Steven breathed a sigh of relief as his ears stopped pulsing painfully. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl emerged from the temple door, their weapons drawn. 

"What on Earth was that?!" Exclaimed Pearl. 

"Little late, guys." Steven groaned, massaging his temples as he flopped down onto the couch. "It was the Wailing Stone." 

"It looks like someone's trying to send us a message." Stated Garnet as she examined the still vibrating communicator, the sound trying to escape the confines of the pillow. "I don't doubt it's something to do with Peridot, so it's best to decipher it as soon as we can." 

"Future vision?" Quipped Amethyst. Garnet nodded. 

"I think I know who might be able to help." 

Greg was surprised to see the gems and his exhausted-looking son knocking at his van door at half two in the morning. They explained the situation, and he was happy to finally be able to help with something gem related. 

He hooked up the wailing stone to his van battery, using a long wire to connect it to his speaker and audio adaptation pad. After giving a thumbs up, Steven reluctantly pulled the pillow from the Wailing Stone, and they all instinctively covered their ears. 

Greg didn't hesitate to adjust the frequencies, messing with them until he found something that sounded remotely like a voice. 

"Maybe a little more bass... get rid of the echo..." Greg muttered to himself as he tried to find the perfect frequency. Suddenly, his face lit up, and a voice drifted out through the speaker. The gems' stomachs plummeted. 

Peridot's voice. 

After a moment of static, her voice became clear. 

"Peridot, Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG, reporting in. Having found the cause of the destruction of my robonoids to be gems, we're sending immediate reinforcements. Accompanied by a gem of Pink Diamond's court, I'll be going to Earth to find the parasitic gems... and eradicate them. Peridot, out." 

Steven had to fight the urge to slam his face against a wall when he heard a knock at the door. He had finally managed to begin to doze off after hours of trying to calm down from the manic of intercepting Peridot's message, and now he had to get up. Again. 

With a moan of frustration, he lifted himself out of bed and quickly pulled on his jeans and the first shirt he could find, which ended up being a light blue tee which he swore he saw Amethyst wearing at some point. 

Speaking of, he spotted her raiding the fridge as he made his way down the stairs. His irritation turned into confusion as he spotted Jeff standing moodily on his porch through the glass door. 

He opened the door, and Jeff only glared. 

"Um, hi?" Tried Steven. Jeff wrinkled his nose and jabbed an angry finger into his chest. 

"What's your game, Universe?" He sneered. 

"Excuse me?" Steven raised a brow sarcastically, his irritation beginning to build once more. Amethyst was now looking at the pair curiously, her eyes narrowed warily on Jeff. 

"You and I both know you like Connie!" Jeff's arms flailed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I've seen the way you look at her- you're trying to steal her from me." 

"What." Steven spoke flatly. He was tired. He didn't have the patience for this. 

"She liked me, okay? I know she does. So I don't appreciate you literally swooping in and trying to change her mind." Jeff crossed his arms defiantly, his angry mood dissipating as he realised his words had little effect on the half-asleep Steven, who stared at him unamused. 

"You done?" He deadpanned. "Good." He snapped before Jeff had a chance to respond. 

Steven all but slammed the door in Jeff's face, Amethyst snickering at this. Jeff wasn't happy with how the conversation played out and tried banging on the door, but Steven had no problem with ignoring him. 

Suddenly, a loud splash and a shout of terror snapped Steven from his ignorant stupor. He and Amethyst raced outside, seeing Jeff cowering from a corrupted gem that had burst from the ocean and was racing towards the beach house, sand flying up behind its paws. It was almost transparent, but it was unmistakably in the shape of a demented lion-like beast, with razor sharp claws and teeth. Its gem sat in the centre of its forehead. 

Jumping into action, Amethyst hopped over the porch railing and whipped its feet, causing it to topple over. Steven grabbed his quiver from the kitchen counter, strapping it to his torso as his wings sprouted from his back and he propelled himself into the air, summoning his bow by command. 

Jeff watched in awe as torrents of icy arrows shot down into the sand, very few missing the beast's body. However, it simply refused to poof. The monster scrambled to its feet, growling menacingly at Amethyst. It snapped its jaws at her, but she cartwheeled backwards just in time. 

Becoming increasingly frustrated, Steven made sure to aim carefully. Holding his breath, he released the arrow. It shot through the air, implanting itself directly above the creature's gem. 

A perfect shot. 

It still didn't poof. 

Noticing this, an idea popped into Amethyst's mind. 

"Steven!" She called up to him. "Fuse with me!" 

He grinned and nodded, while Jeff watched in confusion. What on Earth did that mean?

Steven glided down towards Amethyst, his bow disappearing back into his gem. Amethyst held her arms open, and they crashed together in an embrace. They spun around euphorically, then, a bright light. 

Their bodies disappeared, and their gems aligned. The form of light grew taller. Long legs, curved hips, short curly hair, two arms with a third sprouting from the left's elbow. The light disappeared, and Steven and Amethyst were gone. 

In their place, the most beautiful girl Jeff had ever seen. 

Kyanite's warm grey eyes snapped open. She stood proudly, a cocky grin manifesting on her features as she looked down on the corrupted monster. She brushed her blue curls away from her face, revealing more freckled greyish-blue skin. 

"Hey, baby." Her voice was smooth and sultry. "Well, what do we have here?" The monster snarled. 

In one swift movement, both Amethyst's whip and Steven's bow were summoned. With a blinding flash of azure light, they had merged into a large glowing slingshot, their quiver stacked full of circular razor blades. Majestic wings of water emerged from her back and she jumped into the air, hovering high above the creature. 

One razor blade later, the monster had disappeared into clouds of dust, its gem clattering to the ground. Kyanite bent down and bubbled it, before sashaying over to the shell-shocked Jeff stood on the steps of the porch. 

"Hi Honey." She said to him. "The name's Kyanite, but a cutie like you can call me Kya." She winked, and Jeff all but melted. She sat down on the steps, and patted the space next to her. Nervous, Jeff sat down beside her. 

"Now, now, baby... I hear you're having some trouble with Steven, huh?" She purred. Jeff found her grin enchanting. He thought she sounded like a Texas woman from the 1930's. 

"What... what are you?" 

"Why, I'm a fusion of Steven and Amethyst!" She gestured to the two gems on her chest. He blushed at the obvious cleavage below. 

"Fusion?" 

"Uhuh, when two gems share their form, and become a whole new gem! Amethyst and Steven. Together, they're Kyanite. Me!" She chuckled, and Jeff forced a smile. Her expression changed to one of disappointment as she tutted. "Now I'm hearing you came 'round here to pick a fight with one of my halves." 

"We can't have that, can we, honey?" She spoke, eyes half-lidded and passionate. Jeff gulped. 

"I... I guess not." He replied. Kya smiled. 

"Good... now I believe an apology is due, sweetie pie." 

"Oh, um. Sorry, Steven." 

"Well isn't this just swell!" Kya twirled her hair, leaning in close to Jeff. 

"And for the record, honey... Connie doesn't belong to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i am mega sorry for the long wait, i got exams going on and am finding myself more and more busy. but don't worry, because the next few chapters have already been written and will be updated regularly :)
> 
> this story is also on wattpad, where i include drawings i made of the characters. so if you want to see what this au’s version of the characters look like, feel free to check it out. 
> 
> https://my.w.tt/bBh4QhmHz3


	14. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crystal Gems encounter their greatest threat.

Greg dipped his hand into the bag Steven was holding, pulling out a handful of fries and shoving them into his mouth. The two were walking across the beach on their way home, appreciating the beautiful sunset decorating the horizon.   
"So Peridot's been shooting a bunch of robots from space to here." Steven explained as they walked. "And when you smash them, they explode into goo."   
Greg snickered at the idea. "That sounds creepy." His good mood vanished for a moment as he stared into Steven's eyes, their mesmerising blue an echo of his mother's.

"Steven... is this- do you think this gem stuff is too much for you sometimes?"   
"How do you mean?"   
"Well-"

The ground shook violently, both Steven and Greg struggling to keep their balance. Glass shattered, car alarms activated, people screamed, children cried.

Then, just as quick as it began, it stopped.

The calm panic lasted only a moment. Steven's mouth went dry when he looked up, and Greg's heart began to race.

"Is that... a hand?"

A ginormous floating hand was high above the ocean, pointing menacingly. Steven's hand flew to his chest, his fingers grazing his gem.   
"It's a space-ship." He croaked, his throat constricting in panic. "I didn't think they'd be here so soon, I thought we had more time!" He exclaimed as he began to run towards the beach house, a confused Greg chasing after him.

"The light canons should be ready." Pearl told Garnet, looking up at the ship in worry. Steven and Greg raced over, looking frantic.   
"We can only assume that it's Peridot." Garnet said icily. "The message we intercepted said they'd be coming with weapons and reinforcements."

Steven looked through the telescope Garnet handed him, fear gripping his heart as it drew closer with every passing second.   
"Ready the light canons!" Called Garnet. Amethyst pushed all four into a line, adjusting them to face the right direction. Garnet threw a walkie-talkie to Steven, and he caught it with ease.   
"Fire 'em up."   
He took one last look at the approaching ship.  
"If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs."

An obnoxious hum escaped the canons as the top opened. A loud bang and a burst of light, and the silhouette of Lapis Lazuli shot out from it, its graceful figure slamming into the ship at speeds unimaginable...

...and having no effect.

The terrifying ship continued to race towards the shoreline, bringing the promise of danger along with it.   
"What now?" Asked Greg.   
"We'll have to take them head-on." Replied Garnet grimly. "The whole town might be in danger."   
Steven nodded and pulled out his phone.   
"I'll call Mayor Dewey and tell him to start evacuating the town." 

A few hours later, the town was being cleared out by Mayor Dewey and his ridiculous van while Steven and the gems prepared for battle. The sky had turned a dark blue as the sun set deeper into the horizon, and there was not a single cloud in the sky.

Garnet and Pearl were shoving bags into the back of Greg's van, all of them looking frantic.   
"Great idea, Dad- you should leave with the rest of-" Steven stopped himself when he noticed one of his own bags at Garnet's feet. "Is that... my luggage?"

Pearl and Greg glanced at each other with wide eyes.   
"Who's gonna tell him?" Whispered Greg to her quickly. Pearl looked at Amethyst.   
"Hey! I'm not good with this stuff!" Spat Amethyst, turning away in a huff. Steven glared at the four of his guardians, ready to scold them for trying to get rid of him, but Garnet beat him to it.

"Steven, I know you don't think we trust you. But the truth is, we do, and we know that you're the one that has any chance against a threat like this. However we have a weapon that will get rid of them, but it's very damaging to humans, which is why we need you and the rest of the town to leave as quickly as possible, so we can deal with this as quickly as possible. You understand?"

Steven paused for a moment, trying to process what she was saying. So the only reason they needed him to leave was so that his human half didn't get damaged? It wasn't because they didn't want him as a liability in battle?   
"I... guess that makes sense." He agreed reluctantly, and Garnet smiled.

A moment later Steven and Greg were strapped into the van and driving away to join the rest of the evacuees. Pearl approached Garnet awkwardly.   
"We don't... actually have a weapon like that, do we?"   
"No." Garnet frowned. "But I can't risk Steven getting hurt. I don't like lying to him, but I can't risk anything happening to him. And who knows how he'll react in an actual gem battle? I can't worry about fighting if all I'm worrying about is him."   
Both Pearl and Amethyst felt disheartened by this, but they had no choice but to agree with her. Garnet could see the future, so surely the decision she made was right... right?

Steven was still slightly delirious from the adrenaline rush earlier as he stared out of the window of the van, watching the field pass them by. He couldn't get his heart to stop racing and the lump in his throat to go away.   
"Maybe..." He started, his voice still raw. "Maybe when Peridot gets here she'll see how nice all the people are and won't want to kill us anymore."   
Greg smiled at his son.   
"Just like your mother..."   
"Yeah?"   
"Yeah. But these gems aren't like your mother." Greg's voice was hard as a beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. "They're not like Garnet, Amethyst, or Pearl... they're not going to start caring about people now! They didn't the first time they..." He trailed off, immediately regretting his words.

"First time they what?" Steven's curiosity was peaked now, and Greg knew there was no going back.   
"I mean... it was thousands of years ago, it's not like I was there!"   
Steven stopped looking out the window and turned to stare suspiciously at his dad.   
"The gems should be telling you this stuff, but I get it." Greg continued. "They don't want you thinking of them like that..."   
"Like what?" Steven asked, becoming irritated when he didn't reply. "Like what, Dad?!"   
"Like aliens, Steven!" Greg exploded, hands gripping the steering wheel. "Aliens who invaded Earth!"   
"What?"

"All they do is try to make up for it, but they just can't forgive themselves. Do you understand?" Greg continued to talk.   
"Look, they were doing something awful to this planet-"

The Kindergarten.

"-and your mother couldn't stand it anymore. She told me that's why she had to turn on her own kind.-"

The Rebellion.

"-She gave up everything just to stop what they started here-"

The peril. The danger. The deaths.

"-and drive the invading gems off of Earth."

"So- so she saved the world, that's good!" Steven tried to reason, a deep hope that his Mom was a good person digging into his heart.   
"No such thing as a good war, kiddo." Greg said solemnly. "Gems were destroyed. People too. In the end, your mother could only save a handful of her closest friends."   
Steven's hand subconsciously laid over the gem in his chest, his eyes wide and his pupils small.

"If it wasn't for her powers... man, I don't know."

Those words made Steven come to a grim realisation. His cheeks flared a bright red and he covered his face with his hands, feeling humiliated.   
"Steven? You alright?"

"They lied to me!"

He shouted, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.   
"There's no weapon- they just don't want me there because they don't trust me with Mom's powers!" He grit his teeth. "I have to go back! They won't survive without me, we have to go back!" Steven gripped onto his father's arm.   
"Turn the van around!"   
"No way, the gems don't want you going back!"   
"They need me!"   
"I need you!"   
"I said- turn the van-" he punched the glove box in front of him, snapping it in two, "-around!"

The airbag exploded and he was flung out of the car, landing a few metres away from the road below a hill, rolling from the impact.   
"Steven!"   
The van screeched to a halt, and Greg rushed over to his son, ignoring the honking cars he blocked by stopping. When he got there Steven was already picking himself up, wiping the blood from a cut on his cheek.   
"Greg, is your kid alright?!" A few voices called up from the hill, a crowd beginning to form around them. People were beginning to become frantic.

Greg helped Steven to his feet.   
"I have to go back..." He said weakly, tears staining his cheeks.   
"Yeah." Greg breathed. "I know."   
"I promise I'll be okay..." Steven smiled through his tears, and Greg ruffled his hair.   
"Give 'em hell, kiddo."

Steven nodded in determination, his expression serious. He exhaled, and his wings emerged from his back. With one last glance at his father, he began to fly towards Beach City. 

Steven glided over hills and manoeuvred between canopies, his hair swept back and his eyes narrowed by the intensity of the wind against his face. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and speedily dialled Connie's home number, praying she'd pick up.

'This is the Maheswaran residence. Leave a message, and keep it short.'

He cursed under his breath when he heard Connie's mother's answering machine. He ignored it and said what he needed to say.   
"Hey Connie, it's Steven- I don't know if you already know but Peridot's here, and she brought a giant ship with her. I'm flying over there now, but... look, I don't know how this is going to play out, but if it goes wrong, just know that I love you. I hope you're safe. Bye."   
He hung up the phone and focused on not crashing into anything for the rest of the way there.

He arrived at the temple, the hand closer than it had ever been, its power disturbing the ocean water below. Steven frowned slightly when he spotted Opal aiming her bow at it, Garnet looking ahead firmly at the ship. Opal released dozens of arrows, none leaving more than a scratch.

That's when the ship entered the atmosphere, its enormous surface catching aflame as it sped down towards the beach.   
"At least Steven is safe..." Garnet whispered. Opal looked at her solemnly. Their joined acceptance didn't last long as they heard the flapping of wings and a harsh thud behind them. They both whipped around, not ready to see a furious Steven stood tall on the sand, his wings retreating into his back.

"You lied to me!"

He spat his words out like venom. Opal instantly fell apart, Pearl and Amethyst crashing into the sand.   
"You came back..." Amethyst lamented as Pearl began to panic.   
"What're you doing?!" She shouted.

"There's no weapon! You guys just didn't want me screwing things up for you! Did you seriously think I wouldn't figure it out- you three couldn't handle yourselves without Mom, and you certainly can't handle this without me!"   
They looked at each other guiltily. Garnet sighed.   
"Steven, we know you have a good grasp on your powers and we know you've been training them for years, but... you don't know how to handle a threat like this. Not even I know how! We just... wanted to protect you." Garnet tried to explain herself, but was struggling to find the right words. Steven's enraged gaze softened. 

However before he could even take a step, the hand landed on the shoreline, disrupting the salty ocean water and sending sand spraying in all directions. The wind died down, and the four gems stared in horror at this gigantic weapon.   
"Stay behind us." Tried Garnet, but Steven pushed through.   
"I can handle myself." He retorted stubbornly. He was irritated that he left his water pouch in the van, however worrying wasn't necessary with the entire ocean at his disposal.

A small orb exited the top of the open palm and rolled down the index finger, before opening to reveal two gems. One they easily recognised as Peridot, but the other... the other gem was built like a mountain; broad sturdy shoulders, and thick limbs that looked as if could hold the weight of a dozen cars. Her hair was long and messy, and her skin was orange with patches of a darker hue. Above her lips her nose was replaced with an angular tangerine gemstone.

"These are the ones that keep destroying all my machines." Peridot's curt voice accused.   
"This is it?" The nose-gem's voice was gravelly and deep, with a strong sense of menace and anger.   
"Jasper!" Peridot whined. "They keep interfering with my work!"   
Jasper groaned and stepped forward.   
"Looks like another waste of my time..." She grumbled in annoyance.

"You need to leave immediately!" Garnet called out.   
"Yeah, step off!"   
"This is not a gem controlled planet!"

Jasper ignored them and nudged Peridot's shoulder.   
"You seen Lapis Lazuli?" She shook her head. "What a shame... I hoped to meet her." Jasper leered at the three gems cockily.   
"This is what's left of her army?" She glared at each of them.

"A lost, defective Pearl, a sleazy overcooked runt and this shameless display? Pathetic." She paused when she spotted Steven. "Hm... what is that?"   
The gems readied their weapons at the mention of Steven.   
"It calls itself the 'Steven'.... but it's only a human, there's no need to worry." Peridot waved him off dismissively, causing him to scowl.   
"Ugh, you don't need me for this! Just blast 'em with the ship." Jasper scoffed, turned around and began to make her way back over to the orb she arrived in.   
"Fine." Peridot snapped, pulling up a menu with her floating fingers. The hand changed it's position, and it began whirring as it prepared to fire.

"Get out of here Steven!" Shouted Garnet.   
"No!"   
"I won't let you risk your life!"   
"No, you need me, just admit it!"

The ocean water began to stir.

"Firing."

"I'm a Crystal Gem too!"

Suddenly, two fists of water erupted from the ocean surface, smacking the firing finger out of the way, causing the shot to explode in the sky. Upon seeing this, Jasper whipped around, her eyes wide and filled with astonishment.   
"The ocean..." she whispered. The arms retreated back into the ocean as Steven stared her down, refusing to seem scared.  
"You!" She pointed at Steven. "You have Lapis Lazuli's powers! But... why do you look like that...?"

Jasper began to stomp towards him, and Steven began to panic. He quickly revealed his wings and flew backwards, desperately wanting to stay out of her range.   
"Well now this just confirms it." Jasper spat. Pearl grabbed his leg and pulled him down, glaring at him with anger. Jasper smirked.   
"Oh this'll be easy..." She taunted, pulling out a strange looking weapon from inside her cloak. She held it by her side cockily, a disgusting grin on her face as it began to glow an ominous yellow.

Garnet charged at Jasper with a furious battle cry, her gauntlet reeled back ready to attack- Jasper's weapon dug into her abdomen. Tawny lines spread across her entire body, her visor shattering. Steven's horrified stare tore into Garnet's own as she fell to the ground.

Poof.

Two gems clattered to the ground.

He was frozen. His blood ran cold as Jasper stepped over Garnet's gems as if they were insignificant, and grabbed Steven by his collar. Pearl and Amethyst couldn't move, their bodies also frozen in shock.   
"Yellow Diamond will be happy to see you." Jasper snarled, her fist reeling back.

The last thing Steven heard was Pearl and Amethyst's shouts before the world turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jail Break... tomorrow.


	15. Jailbreak

Steven awoke with a start, his skin coated in a cold sweat. Groaning, he sat up, glancing around to see an unfamiliar place. It seemed like a containment unit, with a barrier of yellow light at the front. He hissed as he felt the tender flesh around his eye.   
"Definitely bruised..." He whispered to himself.

Steven exhaled and pushed himself to his feet. Still slightly delirious, he placed his hand on the light barrier, lines of yellow electricity crawling up his arm through his veins. He quickly snatched his hand away and the lines disappeared, but then realised it didn't hurt. Despite trying to be cautious, he shut his eyes tight and walked right through it, the yellow lines exhibiting themselves all over his body before vanishing. Although he was slightly frazzled from the strange feeling it gave, he was fine.

"Okay, I need to find them and then get out of here." He spoke to himself lowly to keep calm. "All I need to do is look around and get them, it'll be fine."   
Steven took a couple hesitant steps forward, his eyes scanning the long green hallway. He stopped walking when he spotted a figure in one of the cells.

"Excuse me?" He said. The figure's head snapped up. She was a small gem, her skin fiery red and her blocky hair a deep maroon. She wore a red bandana around her forehead and a scowl on her face. The moment she spotted him her eyes widened- then she slammed her fist against the wall.   
"Great!" Steven stumbled back slightly at her harsh voice. "This is just perfect!" She snapped sarcastically.

"Are you okay?" Steven asked.   
"No! Yes! I'm fine- just go away..." She grumbled, turning away from him to face the wall. Reluctantly, Steven turned and was about to walk away when she stopped him.   
"Wait! You're out? How did you get past the field?"   
"Oh!" Steven held his hand out. "Yeah it's because-" He was going to touch the yellow light to demonstrate but she cried out in protest.   
"Wait no no no no no-" She stopped abruptly as his hand went clean through it. "It's.. okay?"   
She tried to touch it but recoiled as it zapped her fingers.

Suddenly, a voice drifted over to them- it was melodic and beautiful, and the small gem immediately snapped her head up.   
"Who's singing?" Steven asked nobody in particular.   
"Sapphire..." the gem whispered. She stared at Steven pleadingly. "Let me out of here, I need to find Sapphire!"   
Steven glanced at her quizzically for a second before nodding. He placed his arm into the light, cutting it off beneath it. The gem immediately slid out from underneath and began sprinting down the hallway, her footsteps echoing.

"Hey!" Steven called out. "Wait for me!"  
He chased after her, and they stopped after they rounded a corner, looking for wherever to go next. She gripped her head as if trying to concentrate, but then huffed and gave up.   
"I can't see..." She growled. The singing got louder, and she began to sprint away again, Steven following after her.

"Do you know where the other gems are trapped?" He asked as they ran.   
"Don't know, don't care." She spat. The singing halted, and the pair stopped in their tracks.   
"She stopped singing!" The gem glanced around wildly. "Sapphire!" She shouted.

Steven took a moment to look out of the window next to him, his heart sinking as he saw just how far away they were from Earth. He could see the different countries and the vast mass of the ocean. He hadn't felt so homesick in his life.

"Ugh!" The red gem huffed. "I don't have time for this! I'm finding Sapphire with or without you!" She stomped away, leaving Steven slightly stung. Deciding he'd be fine on his own, he began to venture around the maze of endless green corridors and prison-like cells.

Suddenly, the melodic voice began to sing again, and he couldn't help but want to find whoever it was making the music. However the moment he began to move he heard Jasper and Peridot stomping past, and he haphazardly pressed himself up against the wall in a desperate attempt to hide himself from view.   
"We can't leave yet!" Peridot fumed. "The whole point of coming here was to check on the cluster!"   
Jasper slammed her hand against the cell next to her.   
"Stop singing!" She shouted. She whipped her head around to glare at Peridot.   
"Lapis Lazuli takes priority. Get back to the bridge and set a course for homeworld!"

They both turned and walked in different direction, Peridot skimming past Steven's excuse for a hiding spot.   
"Go to Earth, they said. It'll be easy, they said." She deadpanned as she walked past. As soon as he was sure she was gone from sight, he poked his head around the corner and spotted a short blue gem behind one of the yellow cells. She began to sing again. 

Casting a quick glance around the area, he quickly sprinted across the hallway and over to the cell.  
"Hey, I like your song... are you Sapphire?" He whispered to her.

"You escaped."

He nodded and touched the yellow barrier, and Sapphire gasped in realisation. Steven quickly held his arm under it, creating a small doorway for Sapphire to escape from.   
"Thank you, Steven." She said as she ducked under.   
"No problem." He smiled, still slightly yellow from touching the barrier.

"Sapphire!"

A familiar voice called from afar. Sapphire gasped. Quicker than Steven could even register, she had grabbed his wrist and was pulling him along the corridors with surprising coordination and at impossible speeds.

The pair finally stopped when Sapphire spotted the red gem, both on opposite sides of an opening in the long corridors.   
"Ruby!" She cried out. The red gem whipped around, a big smile on her face as she saw her.   
"Sapphire!"   
The pair sprinted towards each other, embracing each other tightly as they met in the centre of the opening. They pulled away and Ruby placed her hands on the side of Sapphire's face.   
"Did they hurt you?"   
"No, no- did they hurt you?"   
"Who cares?!" Ruby laughed.   
"I do."

Sapphire soundly placed a kiss on Ruby's cheek, before the red gem wrapped her arms around her waist and picked her up, spinning them around as they both laughed euphorically. Steven watched in awe as they were enveloped in a bright white light, their form growing taller as they began to fuse.

Steven's heart clenched when none other than Garnet appeared in front of him, her happy smile being the product of the fusion.   
"Steven!" She cried out. "Thank you!"   
Garnet retreated when she saw his face turn sour.   
"Garnet...?" He whispered. "You're a fusion?"

"Oh- oh, I'm sorry! We didn't want you meeting us here like this-"   
"You lied? Again?!" He stumbled back, his eyes brimming with tears. Garnet winced.   
"No, Steven-"   
"No, I- you kept this from me my entire life! You've been lying to me this whole time!" He pressed a palm to his temple. She tried to reach out to him but he scowled.

"I'm going to find the others."

Steven immediately began sprinting away, his footsteps echoing throughout the ship. Garnet sighed. This isn't how she imagined Steven's first encounter with Ruby and Sapphire would go. She'd hoped he'd be a little more understanding, but... she couldn't blame his anger. She still regretting lying to him earlier, not realising that Steven was capable of handling himself in a fight like this one.

"You're out? And you're fused again?"

Jasper's sickeningly gravelly voice was not one that bode well with Garnet.   
"Why?" She spat. "Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak gems stronger. Quit embarrassing yourselves!"

"I've seen what you really are..." Jasper spat.

Garnet chuckled. Her three eyes looked up to stare at Jasper's angry form.

"No you haven't." 

Steven didn't stop running until he spotted Pearl and Amethyst slouched on opposite ends of their cells.  
"Guys!" He called out.   
"Steven?" The two of them immediately jumped to their feet. He ran over to them and let them out of their cells, ignoring the torrent of questions from both.

"We're on a course for homeworld, we need to turn this ship around." Steven explained to them as they ran down the hallway.   
"We need to get to the control bridge!" Said Pearl, and Amethyst and Steven nodded.

They arrived at the control room and rushed inside, Amethyst tackling Peridot to the ground before she even had a chance to grab her gem destabiliser. Steven spotted Garnet fighting Jasper in one of the observational cameras as Pearl operated the mainframe in order to steer the ship back to Earth. Amethyst had already tied up Peridot with her whip.

"Don't touch that! You clods don't know what you're doing!" She shouted.   
"Another word, and my whip is going in your mouth."

Steven frowned as he watched the fight scene unfold.   
"Guys, Garnet's not doing too great." He called over. "I think I'm going to head down and help her against Jasper."   
"I'm not sure that's a good idea Steven." Amethyst tried.   
"I'll be fine- keep Peridot tied up and don't crash us into the ocean!" He said as he left the control room. 

Garnet was feeling a bit worse for wear. Their fight was long from over- the pair had even managed to crash through the floor and found themselves in the basement of the ship, the bright yellow power core illuminating the room. Despite being beaten up, Garnet quickly straightened herself and summoned her gauntlets, not letting Jasper's cocky grin alter her.

"I'll shatter you both!" Jasper spat, propelling herself forward as she summoned her helmet. Garnet barely dodged, but didn't feel disheartened in the slightest. She was made of love- and she was indestructible. Jasper didn't stand a chance against her.

Jasper charged once more at her, but this time she was ready. Garnet caught Jasper between her gauntlets, then swiftly swung her round, causing her to crash into the power core. A blinding golden light expanded throughout the room as Jasper screamed in agony. A split second later, the core exploded, destroying the basement, and leaving a gaping hole in the underside of the ship.

Garnet was already sprinting away as the core exploded, quickly finding her way to the control bridge.

Pearl and Amethyst were panicking- the ship had exploded, Peridot had escaped through an escape pod, Steven had disappeared, and Garnet was fighting one of the most formidable gems they had ever come across. One of their worries was answered as Garnet burst in through the door.

"Garnet!" They cried out simultaneously.   
"Where's Steven?!" Shouted Garnet, her heart sinking with his absence.   
"He went to find you!" Replied Amethyst, gripping on to the control board as the pressure from the falling ship increased. Garnet cursed under her breath- there wasn't any time to find him. The city below was approaching at alarming speeds, and she knew they were seconds away from impact.

In an instant, she pulled Pearl and Amethyst close to her. They huddled close to the ground, bracing themselves for the impending crash, and praying Steven was safe. 

Steven, curled up on the ground, struggled to hold his tears back. He was running through the hallways back to where he knew Garnet was, when suddenly the ground only metres away from his exploded. Covered in debris and dirt, he desperately held on to one of the crevices in the wall. Through the gap in the ship, he could see the city below increasingly becoming larger. They were going to crash any second now.

His heart thundering in his chest, he could feel his survival instincts kick in. The gears in his brain began to turn as he glanced around, looking for his best chance of survival. His eyes landed on the vast ocean.

Steeling himself, he let go of the crevice. Steven quickly fell through the hole in the ship, his wings extending from his back as he aimed himself towards the water. Brows furrowing in concentration, he willed the tides to rise. A large section of water rose towards him, and he shut his eyes tight as the water broke his fall. The breath dissipated from his lungs as he disappeared in the depth of the black water. 

A moment had barely passed until the ship crashed onto the beach, enormous green flames and colossal shards of debris covering every inch of the beach. Garnet punched a large bit of ship off of her and stood up, checking to see if Pearl and Amethyst were okay. Seeing they were fine, the three of them quickly began to panic.

"Steven?!" They screamed across the beach, desperately looking for the winged boy. All three jumped in surprise as Jasper broke free from being buried by multiple shards of debris. Despite being scratched and bruised, she seemed as strong as as angry as always. Her eyes immediately clocked onto the three gems, her brows frowning and her teeth gritting. Fists clenched, she began to stomp over, and the three gems quickly summoned their weapons.   
"Beaten- by another fusion! If I had someone to fuse with I'd-"

Before Jasper could take another step, they were interrupted. Steven; pale, wet, bruised and bleeding, came crawling out of the ocean and onto the shoreline, coughing and spluttering along the way. He looked up and his breath hitched as Jasper stood intimidatingly above him, a twisted snarl on her face.

"Steven, run! Fly!" Shouted Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst echoing her words. Panicked, Steven's wings sprouted from his back as he flapped them in desperate attempt to escape. However he barely made it a couple metres off the ground before Jasper had grabbed his foot and slammed him back down into the sand, causing him to groan in pain.   
"Don't fly off so soon..." She jeered.   
She held him up by his arm, holding him close to her face.

"Fuse with me!"

Steven gasped in surprise.   
"Huh?!"

"I've seen how they treat you- those Crystal Gems treat you like your powers mean nothing, like you're below them! But I know how powerful you really are... I can help you show them just how much you're capable..."   
With a wicked grin, she dropped him back down to the ground, letting him stand on his own two feet.

"Get out of there!"   
"Just run already!"   
"Listen to us, Steven!"

Their voices fell on deaf ears. Steven stared up at Jasper with wide eyes.

"Come on... just say yes."

His wings retreated into his back, and the three gems behind him suddenly went silent. His eyes closed for a moment, and all was quiet.

The devastation and screaming started when he held his hand out to the quartz in front of him.

It took no more than a spin and a twirl for the two of them to merge into a bright light. Their form grew bigger... and bigger, and bigger...   
An unbelievable power coursed through them, and Steven could feel Jasper becoming increasingly overcome with greed and hunger for more.   
Their bottom half grew four grotesque arms in the place of legs, and their hair became long and untamed. The light ceased, and in place was the most terrifying monster the Crystal Gems had ever seen.

Their skin was vomit-green, with darker stripes swiping across their arms and face. Their hair was as white as snow, as curly as Steven's and as wild as Jasper's. Their gems had turned a lime green, and their eyes glowed a deep blue.

Steven's eyes.

And they were angry.

Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl all cowered in terror at this monstrosity. The fusion laughed a malicious laugh as it stood taller, their arm raising to summon a large hand of water from the ocean beside them. Fear gripped the gem's hearts as they watched.

Preparing for the blow, they shut their eyes tight... but it never came. Their eyes flew open once more as they heard the fusion gasp in confusion. The hand quickly gripped onto the fusion's wrist, and before it could barely react, another one had come out and gripped onto their other wrist.

The hands suddenly transformed into chains, squeezing onto the fusion tighter and pulling it harder into the ocean as it fought back.

"What are you doing?!"

Steven and Jasper's voices overlapped each other's in an eerie blend.

"I'm done feeling useless! You thought you could imprison my family?! Well now you're my prisoner!"

Steven's voice was predominant. The three gems on the sand held onto each other, their hearts throbbing at the sound of Steven's voice coming out of that monster.

"And I'm never... letting... you... go!"

Dozens of chains flew out of the ocean, wrapping around every one of the fusion's limbs. Jasper's voice screeched as they were dragged deeper into the black water, until only their head was above the surface.

Their blue eyes met the tear-filled ones of the Crystal Gems'.

"I'm sorry."

A single tear escaped their eye, but a moment later, they were gone. The fusion's head dunked under the water, disappearing into the depth of the ocean.

They were gone.

Steven was gone.


	16. Hysteria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're lost without him.

The house was silent.

"It's been two weeks, Garnet." Pearl broke the silence. "And we're not any closer to finding him than we were then."

Garnet frowned from her position on the couch. Pearl's grip on the kitchen counter tightened.

"Amethyst will be back soon. Hopefully she'll find something."

Although they didn't need to sleep, the Crystal Gems had never felt so tired. Two weeks had passed since Steven had fused with Jasper and dragged their fusion to the bottom of the ocean. His intentions were still unclear to them, but they got the idea.

He wanted to protect them from her. By sacrificing himself.

Amethyst walked through the door, covered in salty water and seaweed. Her expression was abysmal.   
"I take it you didn't find them?" Pearl sighed. Amethyst's face was grim. Silent, she marched into her room in the temple, leaving a wet trail behind her.

"It's my turn now." Garnet stood up. "I'll be back by dawn at the latest." She walked out into the night air, getting ready to search the ocean.

Pearl was alone in the empty house.

"I already lost you, Lazuli..." She choked on her own tears. "I can't lose him too."

'Just know that I love you. I hope you're safe. Bye'

'I love you. I hope you're safe.'

'I love you.'

'I love you.'

The answering machine beeped once more. Steven's voice disappeared.

Connie sighed.

She had missed the call. Steven needed her, and she missed the call.

She'd got home, received the message, panicked, went to see the gems, but on her way, she stopped. It was silent, it was dark, and she was scared. The town was empty.

She scrambled over colossal shards of debris from the ship, her anxiety rising by the second. What the hell had happened? She raced over to the beach house and pounded excessively on the door, her desperation resonating in every bang of the door.

No answer.

She pounded harder, but still no reply. Where was Steven?!

"Connie?"

She turned around and was met with Pearl's tired eyes. She asked what was going on, but couldn't seem to get a straight answer. She tried asking the other gems, but once again her questions were left to hang. It was when she saw the tears gathering in their eyes that she knew something was terribly wrong. Her heart sank.

"Guys... where's Steven?" 

Connie sighed once more and turned off the answering machine. It felt so awful being completely useless. Her mind reeled for hours thinking about anything she could do, or anything she could have done. It came up blank. He might of been the one with the powers, but she wanted to be the one to protect him. And now, he was gone.

There was nothing she could do.

A knock on the front door jarred her out of her thoughts.

Scowling, she got up from her spot in the kitchen and trudged over to the door, wrapping Steven's hoodie tighter around her frame.

Connie opened the door, her expression changing to one of surprise when she saw who stood there. Jeff stood there solemnly, a crumpled piece of paper in his hands. She gave him a once-over, before raising a brow in question.

"I... I saw the missing posters."

His words were like a stab to the gut as he held up the paper, Steven's smiling face clearly embezzled on the front. She took it from him with trembling fingers before stepping aside to let him inside. 

Greg couldn't remember the last time he slept in the last few weeks. The gems worked were working hard to find his son, but it seemed futile.

He just... felt so useless.

Looking back, he had always felt like a nuisance to the gems. A weak, fragile human that couldn't help in battle; a dumb, slow animal that couldn't even begin to comprehend the thousands of years the gems had existed. They always looked down on him...

Well, except Lazuli.

He smiled at the memory of her flowing azure hair and dark blue skin. The way her eyes sparkled when she discovered something new. The way she would always cover her mouth when she laughed, as if she was ashamed of that beautiful sound. The way her voice was be so unbelievably gentle, as if every aspect of her flourished in a delicate grace.

Greg thought he missed her more than anything in the world.

Then his son disappeared.

He knew what happened to him, and it hurt his heart to even think about it. Despite never having fused before, Greg always imagined it to be something wonderful, something intimate and fun to experience with someone you loved.

Steven twisted it in a way he never could have imagined.

He fused with that Homeworld gem, and together, the gems best described it as a big angry monster. A relationship built on hatred and fear, manifested into that great beast with the power of both a Lapis Lazuli (which in itself is dangerous enough) and a furiously built Quartz Soldier. Greg didn't miss the irony... the boy who viewed fusion as a gift, and the gem who viewed it as a curse.

He feared it wouldn't take long before Steven lost control of the fusion, and then they'd have a real monster to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the short chapter, i am literally swamped right now with exams and stuff. no worries though, i'm writing the next few chapters asap. expect them within the next 2 weeks (hopefully sooner lmao). 
> 
> please leave a comment, all reviews are appreciated!


	17. Sworn to the Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie's coping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WRITER'S BLOCK HAS ME BY THE THROAT

Connie watched in astonishment as Pearl combated her hologram self, engrossed by the terrifying show of agility and skill. The clang of sword against sword echoed throughout the sky arena, the occasional grunt of effort following.

Moments later, holo-pearl was nothing more than a cloud of dust.

Steven nudged Connie, who had frozen in place.

"Wow!" She eventually spoke. A blush blossomed on Pearl's cheeks as she bashfully hung her sword back onto the weapon rack.

"Cool, right?" Remarked Steven, standing up from his place in the viewing area and walking over to the weapon rack to retrieve his quiver which had been carelessly tossed over the side. Connie nodded enthusiastically as her eyes followed his movements.

"Why didn't you ever learn to sword fight, Steven?" She asked, watching as he summoned his bow and slung it over his shoulder. He immediately grimaced.

"I.." He cleared his throat. "Sword fighting isn't really my... forté."

On that vague note, an idea popped into his mind. Steven called over to Pearl, causing her to look up in confusion.

"Hey, why don't you teach Connie to sword fight? Her skill with a long stick is better than my ability with a sword." He snickered, Connie flushing pink.

After not much debate, Pearl agreed, and Connie was more than excited to start her training. She changed into some more comfortable clothes (of which she stole from Steven), and the lesson didn't take long to begin.

Steven was proud of himself, especially after seeing how happy Connie was to fight alongside him and the other Crystal Gems.

Hovering above the sky arena, he created obstacles of water for her to train with. He watched as she vaulted over blocks of ice, then the same ice melting into water and quickly becoming a wall for her to climb over. This continued for a few more minutes before reaching the end of the course. He smiled. She was improving!

Flashing a quick thumbs-up to each other, he flew back down to the ground.

Yeah, this was a great idea.

***

Sweat rolled down her dark skin, leaving a cold sheen whenever the wind blew. Her hair was scraped back into a messy pony tail seldom of keeping it out of her eyes. Another week of training, and she still felt as useless as the beginning.

Four weeks.

He had been gone four weeks.

Pearl's berating voice started up again, and Connie frowned. She wasn't fast enough, she wasn't agile enough, she wasn't coordinated enough, she just wasn't enough. Another holo-pearl disappeared into clouds as her blade cut through its form.

Huffing almost painfully, she didn't hesitate to move onto her next target. All her pent-up frustration went into the power of the sword Pearl had gifted her, tearing through enemy after enemy.

The final one went down.

"Excellent, Connie!" Exclaimed Pearl, clapping.

"Thanks, ma'am." Sighed Connie. After regaining her breath, Pearl handed her a bottle of water.

"Remember to stay hydrated. You're no use to anyone dehydrated- you humans need sustenance." She spoke as Connie swiftly gulped it down. "Now, what is it you need to remember?"

"In a fight, Steven is all that matters. When we go up against Malachite, we need to remember that Steven is in there and needs to be protected." She gripped the bottle tighter. "No matter the cost."

Pearl grinned, placing a proud hand on her shoulder.

"Good." 

Connie walked home in the light of the setting sun, feeling feverish. Perhaps she had overworked herself? No, that wasn't it. She felt queasy. Light-headed. As if something had a constant grip around her heart, and even the slightest thing could make it squeeze harder.

When she arrived home, she was surprised to see Jeff sitting on her doorstep.

"Hi?" She spoke tentatively, holding her bag's strap just a little tighter. He glanced up from the piece of paper he was looking at previously, looking... jittery. Nervous. The paper in his hand was one of Steven's missing posters.

"I think Steven was wrong."

Surprise turned to irritation at Jeff's blunt statement. She scowled, her brow raised as if asking him to elaborate.

"I... I just... well, he fused with that gem to 'protect' you guys, right? But... that gem isn't even the main threat- she's just one! Surely, if he wanted to protect you he would've done something to take down all of the bad gems. I mean, there's still another one out there, isn't there?"

Irritation turned to rage.

"Steven sacrificed himself for us." Connie spat. "If he didn't, that gem would have killed us, from what I understand."

Jeff stood up from his spot on her doorstep, stumbling back as she barged past him to get to the door.

"You're not getting my point-"

"There's nothing to get!" She whipped around, breathing heavily. After a moment, she had calmed down. "Don't come back here. I'll see you at school."

With that, the door was shut. Jeff was left alone. 

After washing her face and taking out her contact lenses, Connie climbed into bed. Her alarm clock brightly displayed 22:00. Her parents were asleep- something which she envied. She had always had problems falling asleep, but these past few weeks had been the absolute worst. Plagued by nightmares, sleep became more of a luxury than a necessity.

However, she eventually managed to drift off, the last thing she sees being her alarm clock displaying 23:01. 

Connie's eyes fluttered open.

It was... dark. So impossibly dark that she couldn't figure out where she was. Her eyes glanced around, but she still couldn't see anything at all. It was as if she suddenly found herself withing an abyss. Sceptically she raised a hand in front of her, noticing that she could barely see its outline in the absence of light.

Frankly, it frightened her.

There was no ground beneath her feet, and no sky above her head. She was just... floating. In nothing. She took a deep breath. The air felt stale. Impure.

Suddenly, she heard something.

Water...?

It was definitely water. The sound reminded her of the sloshing of the waves on the shoreline, but that was a peaceful sound. This water sounded angry, somehow. Like the deafening roar of a cascading waterfall, or the furious cry of an oncoming tsunami.

It scared Connie to her very bones.

Fright turned to curiosity as she spotted something in the distance. It had a green hue, and it was huge. She vaguely recognised what looked like... arms? Hair?

The creature with green skin shifted, and Connie reeled back, not liking the idea of going any closer to it. She wished she had her sword with her.

The more she stared the more she noticed things. Its hair was white and large. Its skin looked like vomit. Chains wrapped around its entire figure in a trapping embrace. Something about its face looked... familiar. Uncanny.

In one swift movement, it turned to look at her. Striking blue eyes met her own and her heart momentarily stopped.

Suddenly, she was underwater, and she couldn't breathe.

She jolted from the sudden submersion, gagging from the air being knocked from her lungs as her skin pricked from the freezing water. Panicked, she looked around, desperately looking for the surface. A cold fear gripped her heart as she realised she was so far down she couldn't even see the surface.

Connie sprang awake, wheezing painfully. Placing a hand over her hammering heart, she sighed after regaining her breath.

She knew those eyes from anywhere.

Was... was that Malachite? No, that was impossible.

Either way, she knew she needed to see it again.

Determined, she lay back down onto her pillow, squeezing her eyes shut tight. Her mind drifted to the sleep training her father had talked to her about. She made sure her brain was fixated on nothing but her breath. In, out. In, out. In, out.

The last thing she saw was her alarm clock flashing 01:39. 

Connie's eyes fluttered open.

The ground beneath her feet was... water? It was clearly water, despite her being able to stand on it as if solid. She glanced up, noting the endless black sky above her. She took a deep breath, feeling a slight bit of relief at the fact that she could breathe.

She began to walk around, noticing the water under her feet ripple with every step she took.

Suddenly, a sound.

A cry of pain.

Her head whipped around. She recognised the person the sound originated from immediately.

"Steven?!"

He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes wide. His expression turned to one of shock. Connie quickly noticed the chains around his wrists. His eye was bruised and black. His clothes were torn and dirty.

"Connie?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter coming tomorrow... ;)


	18. Limbo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven loses control.

"Steven?!"

"Connie?"

She sprinted forward, the sound of her bare feet slapping against the water echoing across the watery landscape. When she finally reached him, she hastily cupped her hands around his cheeks, taking in every detail of his battered face. 

"Is it really you?" She whispered. Steven exhaled. 

"Is it really you?" He echoed in disbelief. She enveloped him in a silent hug, ignoring how he couldn't hug her back due to being chained down. 

"What are you doing here?" He said as they pulled apart. 

"I don't know... I think I'm dreaming, so maybe you're not real at all, but..." She swallowed. 

"I'm real, Connie. You're really here... I don't know how, but you are..." He breathed disbelievingly, a quiet smile gracing his features. They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity, before Connie suddenly snapped out of her trance. 

"Wait, where are you?!" She exclaimed. "The gems and I can come find you-" 

"No!" He interrupted, his face suddenly panicked. "Don't come find me, you don't know what she'll do-!" He jolted down, his chains pulling mercilessly at his wrists. He struggled to stay above water, but finally managed to regain control. 

"Steven!" 

"Stop! Connie I'm losing control- I can't lose focus, even for a second or she'll-!" The chains tugged one more, harder this time. He was dragged down to his knees. He panted heavily, becoming more panicked by the second. 

"You have to tell me where you are! I've been continuing my training with Pearl; I can come save you!" Connie placed a hand on his cheek. "I have to be able to protect you- you mean everything!"

Steven's head snapped up. 

"What are you talking about?!" He shouted, agitated. "I'm doing this... to protect you!" 

A moment of silence. 

Suddenly, the chains tugged harder than ever before, and Steven was quickly pulled down. With a gasp of terror, he was dragged under the water, disappearing before Connie's very eyes. She desperately tried to follow, but the water wouldn't let her through. 

A few metres away, a figure burst from the water. 

She was built like a mountain; broad sturdy shoulders, and thick sturdy limbs that looked like they could hold the weight of a dozen boulders. Her hair was long and messy, and her skin was orange with patches of a darker hue. Above her full lips, her nose was replaced by an angular tangerine gemstone.

Jasper. 

The perfect quartz soldier. 

Watery chains wrapped around her wrists, their grip worryingly loose. Connie froze, her limbs isolated in fright. Jasper wheezed in an attempt to regain her breath, her gravelly voice striking fear into Connie's heart. 

The gem's head snapped up. Orange eyes bore into brown. Connie frowned, getting into her fighting position. She knew she didn't have her sword, but she wouldn't let that stop her from defending herself. 

Jasper's face twisted into a sickening grin. 

"You're the human he keeps thinking about!" She laughed. It was a haunting sound. She crawled forward, her muscles flexing as she fought against the grip of the chains. 

"I'LL KILL YOU!" She screeched, her voice cracking violently, clawing furiously at the ground in a desperate attempt to reach Connie. She cringed at the sight. 

Suddenly, the chains began to fight back. The watery ground around Jasper burst forward, encasing her in dozens of chains of hard ice. With a cry of defeat, the gem was dragged back underwater, disappearing with a splash. 

The moment she went under, Steven reemerged behind Connie. His wings flapped unceremoniously as he coughed and panted, tears of frustration forming in the corners of his eyes. She rushed over to him as he collapsed onto his knees.

The chains around his wrists had turned to ice. 

"You see?!" He wheezed. "I can't get distracted- not for a moment. I have to keep her held down with the weight of the ocean, or it won't be long before she finds you and hurts you!" 

"Steven, you can't keep this up for much longer. The gems and I can take care of ourselves- it's you we need to protect! You're more important than any of us- Pearl told me so!" 

Steven paused. 

His face went slack as his eyes drifted up to look at her. 

"Pearl said that?" He whispered. "Oh no no no- Connie, don't listen to her. During the war, Pearl prided herself in sacrificing herself for Mom, no matter what it did to her. Now, she's trying to get you to do the same for me! But it's not the same- I don't want you to fight for me, I want you to fight with me!" 

Connie's eyes widened. 

"I just want you to be safe..." He finished. 

"If you want me to fight with you... then why are you doing this?" Her eyes landed on the chains around his wrist. Steven's heart jumped at her words. "You're doing exactly what Pearl did." 

A moment of silence. 

The chains tugged and Steven was pulled down, but he quickly recovered. 

"You- you're right." His voice cracked, tears finally spilling from his eyes. "I'm a hypocrite." 

Connie felt a pang of guilt, but didn't regret what she said. They had both been manipulated by their own state of mind in moments of weakness. He was so determined to protect everyone he sacrificed himself and caused them to suffer instead. She was so intent on saving him that she felt the need to sacrifice herself, causing her to suffer instead. 

"We both messed up bad, huh?" She laughed through a sob. "I'll tell Pearl I don't want to put your safety over mine anymore." 

"I'm glad." 

A moment of silence. 

Connie placed a hand on his cheek, wiping the tears away with her thumb. She could tell he wanted to do the same. She hesitated for a beat, but then changed her mind. 

Heart pounding, she pressed her lips to his. 

The kiss was long and passionate, both pressing against each other lovingly. It felt beautiful, despite the circumstances. It wasn't long before they pulled apart, elated smiles on each of their faces. 

They wanted the moment to last forever. 

It didn't. 

Steven was suddenly yanked down, crying out in pain as he struggled to stay above water. Connie tried to support him, but it was of no use. She had distracted him too long- Jasper was gaining control. 

"Agh! I can't hold it!" He cried through grit teeth, brows furrowed from the effort. "Mask Island!" He shouted desperately. "Tell the gems we're under Mask Island- you need to hurry, I'm losing control!" 

Connie nodded, determined. 

Steven was dragged under, his screams disappearing under the abyss of the water. 

Connie started awake. 

Wasting no time, she hopped out of bed and grabbed her glasses, adjusting them over her eyes as she rushed to get her clothes. 

Suddenly, she reeled back, a great pain hitting her head. Confused, she opened her eyes, confusion only growing as she realised she couldn't see anything. The world had gone blurry, despite her having her glasses on. 

She slowly removed them, batting her eyelids as her eyes adjusted. 

She gasped. 

Glasses still in hand, she looked out the open window, seeing every leaf, every cloud, every blade of grass, perfectly. 

She had perfect vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yooooooooo this took forever- writer's block is painful! anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review to tell me any thoughts or criticisms you might have. next chapter coming soon!


	19. Snow is Made From Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gems share memories over a fire while a snow storm rages outside.

Greg hastily chucked another log into the fire.

The gems, along with Greg, sat in the living room, huddled closer to each other as the snow barrelled down outside. Despite being mid-November, an unexpected snow storm had trapped the four of them inside the temple. It was surprisingly peaceful- it was warm and cozy and Pearl had made everyone tea (well, Amethyst preferred eating the tea bags over the actual tea).

The absence of Steven made the room slightly melancholy, but they all enjoyed each other's company for the time being. Amethyst groaned obnoxiously.

"Ugh! Why are we still here when we should be out there looking for Steven and Jasper!" She frowned, crossing her arms.

"The ocean is too riled up from the storm for it to be safe to look for them. It's best we wait for the storm to pass before going back in the water." Spoke Garnet, calm and collected as ever, before taking another sip of her tea.

"As much as I want to agree with you, Amethyst, Garnet's right. It's simply too dangerous to go into the ocean in a storm like this one." Pearl reprimanded. Greg sighed.

"I wish he were here." He said flatly. The three gems glanced at each other sympathetically.

"I know it might seem hopeless now, but we're getting close. I can feel it." Garnet placed a hand on Greg's shoulder, and despite himself, he couldn't help but smile up at her.

"It just feels weird, y'know? I'm used to not having him around all the time but... this feels so much worse. Knowing he's out there, suffering... it's awful." He poked the fire with one of the longer kindling sticks. "You should've seen how excited he was to move in with you guys... feels like forever ago now."

***

Greg watched as his six year old son played with the strings of his ukelele, his bright blue eyes squinted and his brows furrowed in concentration. He chuckled as Steven grunted in frustration each time he struck a wrong chord.

"Hey, Schu-ball. How's that song coming along?" He said as he sat down next to the boy, the pair dangling their legs over the side of the van. Steven only sighed and placed the instrument down beside him, then slumped over to lean on his father's arm.

"This song's super hard." He huffed, causing Greg to laugh.

"I know what'll cheer you up." He ruffled his hair. "Wanna go for a fly?"

Steven immediately perked up, a wide gap-toothed grin on his face.

Moments later, Greg had lifted Steven high above his shoulders, swirling him around as he squealed in delight. Steven stuck his arms out like makeshift wings, shouting to go higher. Greg complied, his heart swelling at the sound of his son's laughter.

He knew it was moments like these that he would never forget.

***

The gems smiled at Greg's story, reminiscent of Steven's adolescence.

"Pfft. That's a nice story, but remember when Steven actually learned to fly?" Snorted Amethyst.

***

Steven, now thirteen years old, looked worriedly over the edge of the cliff side.

"I don't know about this, Amethyst..." His voice quivered. The purple gem scoffed before shapeshifting into an owl, cockily pruning her feathery wings.

"It's fine, Ste-man! You'll never learn if you don't take any risks." She hovered over the edge of the cliff. Steven glanced up at her before hastily summoning his wings. Amethyst couldn't help but falter slightly- she still wasn't used to the sight of his wings. He had only recently learned to summon them, but still had a lot to learn about flying.

"Okay, now just take a running jump!"

Blindly trusting, Steven ran forward and leapt off the edge, tumbling quickly towards the water below. His wings flapped with no coordination, and he couldn't seem to get his body in the right position. Amethyst flew down beside him.

"Flap your wings at the same time and try holding your arms out for balance!" She advised, and Steven didn't hesitate to listen. It took a few moments, but it wasn't long until he was gliding through the air, the ocean just below his fingertips. A euphoric grin formed on his face as he laughed disbelievingly.

"I'm doing it!" He shouted, and Amethyst winked proudly. Daringly, he flapped harder, gaining a few metres of altitude. A flock of seagulls flew above him, and his eyes shined in wonder. He let out a shout of joy, not taking long before she Amethyst joined in too.

"You know how to land, right?" She landed on the top of his head, ruffling his hair in the process. Steven immediately paled. Thrown off, his wings snagged.

A second later, he had crashed unceremoniously into the ocean, Amethyst laughing hysterically from above him. He emerged from the water a moment after, his hair and clothes plastered to him, a deadpan look on his face.

Amethyst, too distracted from laughing, didn't notice the large hand of water rising behind her. It rose high above her head before slamming down, slapping her down into the water.

She emerged from the water, huffing at Steven's hysterical laughter.

***

Amethyst began giggling to herself as she remembered. Pearl sighed.

"You teaching methods were certainly... interesting. But I like to think I did a good job at teaching him how to use his powers correctly- where do you think he got the hand of water idea from?" She smirked cockily, and Amethyst groaned obnoxiously.

"You've told us this story like a thousand times! We get it- you're a good teacher." She drawled. Garnet and Greg snickered as Pearl blushed.

"He was so excited after his last lesson with you that he went to the carwash to try and help." Greg smiled. "Really spooked some of my customers..."

***

"I don't think it's ever been this busy..." Remarked Steven as Greg struggled to wash the soap suds off of one of his customer's cars. Dozens of cars were lined up behind it waiting for their turn, and Greg was more than a little overwhelmed.

"There was a rain storm, so lots of mud, so lots of dirty cars." Rambled Greg, signalling for the next car to pull up as he hurried to refill his bucket. An idea popped into Steven's mind.

"I think I know how I can help move this along." He said. His father turned to look at him quizzically. "Are you really forgetting that I can literally control water? I can have these washed in no time."

"Are you sure, son? You've struggled with your powers until recently, so I don't know..." He spoke sceptically. Steven shrugged.

"It'll be fine- I'm not doing anything too complicated, right?"

"Right..."

Flashing his dad a quick grin, Steven summoned his wings and hopped into the air. Several gasps rippled throughout the people below. He took a deep breath to concentrate.

Suddenly, water burst from the hoses, swirling around until it reached Steven, creating a great canopy of water above his head. With a quick hand motion, the water shot down to the nearest car, swirling around it until it shone clean. Seeing his method was effective, he continued with another few cars until the line had died down a significant amount.

Starting to feel tired, he dropped to the ground, letting his wings retreat into hid back. He finished the car and turned to his dad.

"That's all I can manage for now..." He sighed, running a hand over his face. A few of the remaining people clapped at the display, and Steven couldn't help but blush.

"Thanks for the help, bud. Don't think I would've managed without some help." Greg said gratefully, placing a hand on Steven's shoulder. "I'll finish up here- you can head on home."

After sharing a quick hug, watery wings sprouted from his back, and Greg watched as his son flew home, his heart swelling with pride.

***

"I got a bunch of requests for the 'magic wash' after that. It was annoying to have to tell a bunch of customers that Steven won't always be available to wash their cars." Greg rolled his eyes as the gems chuckled.

"Remember when Ronaldo made that documentary about the gems and we had to ward off a bunch of curious onlookers from the temple?" Amethyst quipped.

"Aha! I remember going shopping with Steven and some people asking to see our 'magic powers'. We had to get out of there quick!" Laughed Pearl.

Suddenly, there was a frantic knocking at the door.

"Who's out here in this weather?" Said Pearl as Garnet stood to answer the door.

All four of them looked in confusion as they spotted Connie stood in the doorway, a tired but excitable look on her face. Her glasses were gone.

"I know where Steven is!" She suddenly exclaimed as Garnet opened the door. They exchanged glances of surprise before shooting to their feet, immediately alert.

"Mask Island- there's no time to explain, we need to go now!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter coming on Sunday!


	20. Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven's face was gaunt and silent. Her stomach twisted at how bony he felt in her arms.

"Just LET GO!"

Jasper tugged the chains, her muscles flexing with effort. A strained grunt escaped Steven as he held the chains even tighter, his face contorting in pain as the ice rubbed against his skin, causing it to draw blood.

"No!" He spat back, tears of frustration forming in the corner of his eyes. Jasper laughed, feeling him get weaker by the second.

"Just give up! You know you want to..." Steven squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to block out her words. "Give me control, and I'll show you just how powerful we can really be..."

Steven opened his eyes, glancing up at Jasper's look of malice. She was close to breaking him, and she knew it. He shook his head. Jasper's face turned sour.

"Fine... if you won't give me control, I'll take it myself!"

She gripped onto the chains and wrapped them around her forearms. In one swift movement, using all of her strength, she pulled towards her. Steven screamed in pain as he was dragged under, his cries smothered by the water.

Jasper grinned. The chains on her wrists snapped. It was over. 

"I'm impressed... You really held out." Malachite grinned, massaging their wrists, where chains once kept them hostage. They suddenly cringed, their features twisting as Steven tried to regain control. It didn't work.

"Stop!" His voice cried out. "Pathetic." Malachite growled, Jasper's voice once again predominant.

"MALACHITE!"

The fusion gasped, their head whipping around. They were face-to-face with Alexandrite, her usual calm demeanor turned into one of furious determination.

"Ugh! Give up! We've been holding us back for too long- and for what?! If we're going to be this thing together, might as well have some fun..." Malachite smiled maliciously, their blue eyes narrowing to glare at Alexandrite. There was a hunger in their eyes that the other fusion couldn't recognise.

"We don't have to fight... you're outnumbered." She snarled. Malachite laughed.

"Yeah? Well you're out of your depth." The wind picked up as two large arms of water raised from the water below them, fists clenched threateningly. "You've lucked out, Crystal Gems. I've got a Lapis Lazuli on my side..."

Alexandrite roared, charging forward with a burst of speed, causing a wave to kick up behind her. Malachite reeled the fist forward in a furious punch- their opponent narrowly missed the hit by quickly dodging off to the side. She didn't hesitate to jump forward in an attempt to tackle them, but instead only ended up being caught by the second hand of water, lifting them high into the air.

Small flakes of snow began to fall from the grey sky.

A terrifying grin spread across Malachite's face, their pupils shrinking manically with bloodlust. The hand began to squeeze tighter as ice crawled up its side. Alexandrite could feel her form begin to tremble, weakening by the second. She looked into the eyes of the fusion holding her hostage, her heart yearning as she frantically searched for any sign of her little boy inside that monster. There was nothing there. He was gone, overtaken by this power-hungry and vindictive imprisoner. She had no reason to hold back. Despite knowing Steven was in there, she knew the only way to get him back was to defeat them.

Malachite suddenly faltered, a hand flying up to grip their head as if in pain. They dug around through their wild hair before pulling something out and holding the object, now seeming tiny between their fingers.

It was an arrow- made entirely from ice.

They whipped their head around, their icy gaze landing on the girl stood on the shoreline. Connie reached into Steven's quiver that was strapped to her back, pulling out another arrow and aiming at Malachite's face through her bow. It was brown and simple, the name of a gem she didn't recognise carved into its wood.

"Connie!" Malachite exclaimed, Steven's voice suddenly predominant. Connie's face softened at the sound of his voice, and she couldn't help but lower her weapon slightly. Alexandrite frowned, suddenly engulfed in a white light.

"Keep it together..." She growled to herself.

Malachite's hands jumped up to grip their skull, their components fighting within them. They screeched out, the sound echoing across the landscape. The water that held Alexandrite captive dissipated into nothing. They were unstable, Steven's powers were fading- she could use this to her advantage.

The moment she was free, she summoned Amethyst's whip and Pearl's spear, the two combining into a bow of their own. They pulled the string back and released the arrow that formed from light. As it shot forward it split into four other arrows, all just as sharp and just as deadly.

Noticing this, Malachite regained their composure as Jasper once again managed to repress Steven. A wall of ice shot up from the ocean below, blocking the arrows. Alexandrite watched in horror as two gigantic watery wings where seen emerging from over the top of the wall. In one great beat of their wings, Malachite was in the air, their manic smile having returned.

Dozens of bubbles of water raised from the ocean, floating around the fusion's hovering form. They suddenly transformed into spikes of ice, hurtling towards Alexandrite. She took a deep breath and released a torrent of flames, instantly melting the ice. Malachite's face contorted into a scowl.

In a flash of orange light, Jasper's helmet formed on their head. With an animalistic growl, they shot towards Alexandrite in a burst of speed. The two fusions crashed into the water, causing a tidal wave to swallow the shoreline. Connie managed to avoid the water and instead watched the battle from a nearby boulder. She became increasingly nervous as the storm above them grew, the snow swirling furiously around the island as the wind grew stronger.

Alexandrite had managed to push Malachite away, suddenly spitting fire into their face. With a screech of pain, Malachite let their wings carry them back into the air. Blinded by the searing pain, they cradled their face in their hands.

Determined to win the fight, they finally removed their hands from their eyes. A small gasp escaped their mouth as their eyes landed on the fusion below them.

"You two should spend some time apart."

An arrow pierced Malachite's stomach, passing cleanly through and emerging on the other side. In a great cloud, Malachite disappeared altogether. Alexandrite lowered her bow, desperately searching the sky for one gem and one hybrid. Her hands reached out to catch them, but the moment her eyes spotted Steven, the fusion fell apart.

They all plummeted down into the water.

"Quickly- find them!" Exclaimed Garnet as she emerged from the water. Pearl and Amethyst nodded, hurriedly submerging and looking around. Amethyst spotted Steven as he slowly sunk towards the ocean floor and swam over to him, frantically dragging him to the surface.

"I have Steven!" She shouted, alerting the other two gems. She glanced down at Steven's gaunt and silent face, her stomach twisting at how bony he felt in her arms.

"I can't find Jasper!" Pearl called back.

"There's no time- I don't think he's breathing!" Amethyst snapped back. Garnet swam over to her, taking the teen from her. She carried him back to shore and placed him on the snow-covered sand, brushing his wet hair away from his face. Connie raced over, looking impossibly grief-stricken as she rushed to cradle his head in her lap.

Thunder struck in the distance, the wind blowing even more furiously.

"We need to get him home and on life support- my mom can get everything we need from the hospital." Connie sniffled.

"We'll come back for Jasper as soon as we know he's stable." Garnet said. "That fusion was the only thing keeping him alive for so long; we need to hurry!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT NEW PROMO HAS ME SCREECHING
> 
> sorry for the late update- the promo completely derailed my writing plans lmao. only five more days until the new episodes ahhhhhhhhhhhh


	21. In Your Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven's hamartia.

Steven smiled as a butterfly landed on his finger. 

It was so pretty; he marvelled at the brilliant white colour of its wings, looking almost as if it shined in the gentle moonlight. His blue eyes followed it as it flew away, leaving a trail of glitter behind it as it disappeared into the starry night sky. He giggled. 

With a relaxed sigh, he leant back onto a nearby tree stump, gazing at the beautiful cosmos stretched out above him. 

He was alone. 

Finally, alone. 

So, so alone... 

Irritation picked at his peaceful mood, but he couldn't quite figure out what annoyed him so much. He just wanted to enjoy a relaxed evening by himself, with no worries about his daily life. No training, no stress, no war. 

No war. 

War. War. War. 

Flashes of a great green spaceship flooded his mind, and he jolted up in surprise. What the hell? What was that? He had never seen a spaceship before, let alone in the shape of a hand! Wait, hand? 

A sound jostled him from his thoughtful posture, and he quickly found himself glancing around anxiously. Where was it coming from?! Frustrated, Steven stood up from his spot and looked around the forest, noticing the boardwalk leading back to his home just beyond the clearing a few metres away. Home. His beach house. 

Cautiously, he began to move. One foot after the other. The sound got louder. It sounded an awful lot like... water? But there was no water in the forest? Confused, he continued to make his way towards the edge of the town, desperation itching at his mind. He just wanted home. 

Where was home? 

He stopped. 

He could see it. Beach City. That was home, right? But, the water... 

He listened closer, noticing the sound of crashing waves slowly but surely becoming unbearably loud. It felt like home... no! Water... bad bad bad!

Terrified, he gripped his head with his hands, fiercely trying to cover his ears from that damned noise. 

"Come home, Lazuli..." 

A rough, coarse voice snapped him from his stupor. 

"Jasper?!" He cried instinctively. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. Jasper? Who was Jasper? Where was home? Where was the water? 

Images of orange flashed before his eyes, and he quickly stumbled back, startled. A small splash called his attention from behind him. Steven looked down.

His blood ran cold in his veins. 

Water. So much water. It was rising quickly, already having reached his ankles and soaking his shoes. He shivered at how cold it felt. 

It didn't take long for the panic to kick in. 

Air could no longer fill his lungs, and his breaths became sharp and sporadic. His heart thumped against his ribcage almost painfully. Oh God- It was touching him! 

Sporting an unceremonious scream of horror, wings swiftly sprouted from his back, not hesitating to carry him high into the air and as far away from the rising water as possible. His wings flapped almost painfully hard as he flew higher into the sky. 

The stars, the moon- they were right there. Just beyond his fingertips. 

"Don't you ever just want to... I don't know, fly away? Touch the stars? Or the moon?" 

Gentle words echoed in his mind, but he couldn't quite place who said them. 

Steven could see them all so clearly in the night sky. He could do it- he could touch the stars. He'd finally be safe, he'd finally be-! 

Something hard hit him in the face, and he recoiled, cradling his nose. He glanced around, but saw nothing. Not wasting another moment, he flew further up, but something hit him again. A trembling hand reached out, meeting a sleek, transparent glass surface. 

"No..." He whispered. "NO!" 

He banged furiously against the glass, praying it would shatter and let him through. The water became louder and louder and louder... His fist collided with the glass keeping him trapped over and over and over and over and over and over- 

He caught his reflection in the glass. 

His skin was vomit green. His hair was wild and snowy-white. Four wide eyes stared back at him. A single angular gemstone sat where his nose once was. 

"If we're going to be this thing together, why don't we have some fun?" 

A voice rattled his ears, almost deafening the sound of the sloshing water. He glanced down, his heart dropping as he noticed the ground was gone. There was nothing but empty space, and... water. So much water. 

It grew taller, and taller... it had almost reached him. 

He slapped his hands against the glass with all his strength, a desperate heart-wrenching cry escaping his mouth. 

"MALACHITE!" Another voice shouted from behind him. He didn't bother looking. He just kept hitting the glass, praying for even just a crack. 

Suddenly, something gripped his right forearm. 

He gasped. 

Then, something gripped his left. 

Hands... watery hands. Before he could even begin to try escape, they transformed into chains, gripping his wrists tightly. His wings flapped fruitlessly as he attempted freedom, but the chains wouldn't stop tugging. 

"No, stop!" He pleaded, tears forming in his eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I swear!" 

The water didn't listen. Like an unrelenting tide, it kept pulling, despite Steven's pushing. He pleaded and he cried- anything to get it to stop. The water didn't care, more hands shooting out from the ocean beneath and grabbing his legs. 

Was this his punishment? For hurting everyone he loved? 

"I just wanted to protect them..." He whimpered, no longer bothering to fight the water. 

He didn't scream as he was dragged under. He didn't make a sound- except for one. 

"I'm sorry..." 

Steven was gone. 

Greg stared silently at his son's sleeping form, the faint beeping of the heart monitor providing a sense of comforting white noise, shielding him from the silence he feared. Honestly, he didn't expect the gems to get him back alive- he certainly looked dead. 

Steven's face was hollow and white, his eyes dark and sunken, his body thin and bony. Greg inwardly cringed at the sight of his son's obvious rib cage sticking out from his body, barely covered by the thin sheet pulled up to his neck. 

He glanced over at the IV drip taped to Steven's forearm, a black and purple bruise spreading around the area the needle was stuck in, like some sort of sick art exhibition. 

"It's my fault." 

Greg jumped at the sudden presence, but settled down after noticing Garnet stood beside him. He sent her a questioning look before sitting down on the end of Steven's bed. She stayed standing. 

"His entire life, he was given the completely wrong idea about fusion. He always thought it was a tactic for winning a battle, a tool to be temporarily used to combine the strength of two gems in a fight." Although it wasn't clear, Greg could tell Garnet was frowning behind her visor. Whether it was from anger at herself or Steven, he didn't know. 

"It never occurred to me how important it was to teach him the true reason to fuse; love." She whispered, looking down at the two gemstones on her palms. 

"You couldn't have known..." Greg tried, but he could tell his words had no impact. Garnet stayed as rigid as ever. 

"I want to blame myself, or even Jasper, but... I can't help but be angry at him." She snickered. "Ridiculous, right?" 

"He was just doing what he thought was best." Replied Greg, glancing down at Steven's gaunt and expressionless face. "Can't blame anyone for that, right?" 

Garnet steeled before nodding. 

A loud bang was heard, and the pair whipped their heads around to the source of the sound. Amethyst scrambled through the front door, dripping wet from head to toe, various types of sea weed entangled into her hair. 

"We have a problem." She panted. "We can't find Jasper." 

"You were right." Said Connie, leaning back on the bench and letting her face soak up the heat of the setting sun. Jeff threw a quick confused glance at her, but quickly resumed sipping from his cup. 

"'Bout what?" 

"Steven." 

He choked slightly on his drink from surprise, causing Connie to chortle. 

"Wow- was not expecting that." He croaked, bashfully rubbing the back of his head. 

"Yeah." She sighed. "We got him back yesterday and he still hasn't woken up. My mom said she doubts he'll be awake for at least another week." 

Jeff placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she couldn't help but smile up at him. A warm blush formed on both their cheeks, forcing them to suddenly look away. Connie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while he absentmindedly slurped his drink. 

"Anyway," she coughed. "As I was saying earlier, you were right. Steven's sacrifice was unnecessary- although it kept us safe for a while, it just wasn't sustainable. I'd explain what changed my mind, but it's an annoyingly long story. I'll tell you later, preferably with Steven there to explain the things not even I understood." 

Jeff nodded, just glad he was able to enjoy her company. 

He still felt bad about his last interaction with Steven. After a stern talking to by Kya, he did feel like he should patch things up with Steven- despite their mutual interest in Connie. That was why he not only felt distraught by the missing posters hung up all over town, but also extremely concerned with how Connie was coping with it. 

Frankly, not well. 

Jeff was told all about the situation, but there was still one thing that didn't add up. 

Why fusion?

Last he had seen Steven, he had turned into that stunning woman with Amethyst to defeat that monster that had attacked him. Clearly, fusion was a good thing. 

What could have possibly changed for Steven to use fusion in such a way that contradicted everything he stood for? 

"Garnet... you're a fusion?!" 

"O-oh I'm sorry! We didn't want you meeting us here like this-" 

"You lied? Again?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am going to pump chapters out as quick as i can- i already know i'll be too hung up over new future episodes to get anything done, so i'm tryna get as many out as possible right now lmao
> 
> thanks for reading, be sure to leave a review!


	22. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He can't escape the water.

Steven gasped as the watery shackles around his body tightened, water rushing into his lungs. 

He coughed harshly, but it only caused him to choke harder. It was ironic, really. Killed by the one thing that brought him joy; his powers. He didn't know who he was without them. His eyes glanced up. The surface was right there... just moments away from his reach. 

The soft glow of the moonlight illuminated the area around him, the gentle waves above him forming patterns on his face. For a moment, he marvelled at its beauty. 

Then he remembered he was drowning. 

It was more gruelling than he imagined, Steven thought. Not to mention unbelievably painful- his lungs burned and the sensation of not being able to breathe brought a lump to his throat. He couldn't do anything... his powers didn't work, and his wings refused to come out again. 

It didn't take long before his will to fight slowly bled away. His eyes began to shut, and his strength began to weaken. He passed out just in time to see the water above him split open like the Red Sea. 

Steven awoke only seconds later, but he wasn't under water anymore. He took a wheezing breath in, shooting upright as he violently coughed up the water from his lungs. After calming down, he finally looked around to see where he was. He was in... his room? Well, his mother's. Sat upon a soft bed of azure clouds, the occasional crystal waterfall and glacier around the landscape. 

"Hi." 

A gentle voice snapped him out of his hypnosis. It was horrifyingly familiar- it sounded like cotton candy. Slowly, he turned, his heart rate quickening as his eyes landed on the person he expected. 

Lapis Lazuli stood only a metre away, a quiet smile on her face. 

His breath caught in his throat. 

"It's funny, isn't it? This whole fusion thing." She said, sitting down beside him, her blue dress sprawling out around her. "Two gems, sharing one body, one mind. Well, in your case, humans." 

She giggled, and Steven suddenly felt joy; a warm fuzzy feeling filling his chest. 

"Didn't Stevonnie teach you the true meaning of fusion?" She looked at him worriedly, and his wide eyes narrowed. He huffed. 

"You know it's about love. Then... why would you abuse the power of fusion like that? Both you and Jasper suffered greatly during your month together. Malachite wasn't love, was it?" He looked away, not bearing to look at the disappointment in her eyes. 

"I... I just wanted to protect them. My family. I know fusion is about love... better than anyone. But, in that moment, when Jasper held her hand out to me, I just..." He trailed off, sighing. "I saw an opportunity, and I took it." 

"That's not all, though, is it?" She leaned closer. "Something happened before that." 

Steven hung his head down, his curls covering his eyes in shame. 

"I'm a monster." He whispered. "What I did to Jasper... I... I liked it. I liked taking my anger out on her. For a while, anyway. When it got too overwhelming, I lost control and released a beast with a thirst for blood into the world. At least the gems were safe for a bit. Not just from Jasper, but... from me, too." 

'There's only room for one abomination on this hunk of rock!'

Lazuli ruffled his hair, and he flinched at her touch, screwing his eyes shut. 

"You're not a monster, Steven." She sighed. "You did what you thought was best. Can't blame anyone for that, right?"

Amethyst's head snapped up when she noticed Steven stirring. 

His breath was becoming increasingly more rapid, the heart monitor beeping frantically. Panicked, she rushed over to his bedside, noticing beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. 

"Garnet!" She called out in alarm. Garnet glanced up from her spot on the couch, suddenly noticing the hurried blare of the heart monitor. Fearing the worst, she hopped up the stairs, her heart plummeting when she noticed the pained look on Steven's face. 

"It's time to wake up, Steven. You've been asleep long enough." 

"Wake... wake up?" Steven whispered, his head raising to stare intently at what looked so much like his mother, but possibly couldn't be. 

"Well... none of this is real. It's time to return to your old life." She smiled gently, as if nothing more than a glance could shatter him. 

"I don't want to!" He suddenly cried, tears springing to his eyes. "I fucked everything up... the gems, Connie, my dad... they all hate me! I abandoned them because I thought I was protecting them but all I did was put everyone in even more danger." He choked on a sob, burying his face in his knees. 

"I'm not surprised if they never want me to wake up either..." He said, voice small. 

Lazuli had an unreadable look on her face from his words. She ended up just giving him a hard stare. 

"Abandoned, huh?" She whispered. Steven watched as she closed her eyes, her form disappearing into azure clouds. He gasped as the clouds were swept away by an invisible wind, and he was suddenly alone again. 

He sprung to his feet, an overwhelming feeling of dread flushing through his body. His heart beat painfully inside him, and he keeled over from terror. 

He could hear it- the sound. Rushing water. Unrelenting waves. 

Oh god, it was coming for him. 

"No... not again!" He screamed, covering his ears and curling up onto the ground, hugging himself pathetically. His hands trembled as he held onto himself, hiding his head in his arms. Fear flooded through him with no hope of draining. He screwed his eyes shut, praying that when he opened them again, he'd be safe. 

"-ven... Steven!" 

Voices drifted in and out of his mind, and he could vaguely recognise the voices. His eyes clenched tighter, his face cringing at the sounds around him. They were so loud, and yet... so quiet. Images of purple skin and long flowing hair flashed before him, matching to the voice. 

"Amethyst...?" He heard his own voice croak. He heard someone gasp. He centered his energy into opening his eyes, now realising they were shut. 

Light flooded his vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter out saturday! 
> 
> ahhhhh i am so hyped for new suf episodes tomorrow! the first two were amazing, and honestly i'm terrified for 'together forever'... rebecca pls don't ruin my ship


	23. The Wheels are Flat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven hadn't realised that being kidnapped had now become part of his daily routine.

His wheelchair creaked as he pushed himself across the boardwalk. 

The sun blazed brightly in the morning sky, peaking out just above the horizon of the ocean. A rosy glow enveloped the town, hues of peach and gold covering everything the light touched with warmth. Despite the rising sun, the air was cool and the temperature was ambient. 

Steven, however, was a storm. 

A continuous deadpan expression remained permanent on his face, and even the slightest inconvenience could make him scowl in anger. He was snappy and irritable; talking to him became a challenge. Noticing this, the gems implored him to go outside and reconnect with some friends in order to get his spirits up. He decided that maybe a donut would cheer him up. 

His mind immediately changed at Sadie's gasp of shock as he entered the store. 

The glass door swung closed behind him and there was a moment of quiet as the girl behind the counter stared in horror (yet, behind her eyes, there was relief). 

"Hey." He strained a small and inviting smile. 

"Steven!" She exclaimed, rushing out from behind the counter and pulling him into a hug. He didn't mention how strange it felt to have her lean down to hug him now. 

"What happened to you? You were missing for more than a month! There were posters everywhere!" Sadie bore into his eyes in worry (although he did notice her gaze occasionally flicking down to glance at his wheelchair). 

"I don't want to talk about it." He sighed. "Let's just say the last month put a lot of strain on my body, and it'll be a while before I can walk again." 

"Wow, I um... I'm so sorry." 

He shrugged. 

Sadie walked back behind the counter, leaning over it with a hesitant grin. She reached into the display and pulled out two chocolate jelly donuts, placing them into a paper bag. 

"On the house." She remarked as she handed it over to him. He took the bag with wide eyes. Suddenly, the bell above the door rang, and a bored looking Lars sauntered in, distracted by something on his phone. 

"Hey Sadie-" He said, quickly interrupting himself as he looked up. Lars immediately froze when he saw Steven, his eyes widening in shock. 

"...Steven." He whispered unbelievingly. It clearly was Steven, but... something was obviously different. His hunched form was sitting in a wheelchair, for one. There were heavy deep-set bags under his eyes that marked hours of lost sleep. His skin was pale and his body was visibly thinner. It was jarring seeing him like this; it was as if his death warrant was written legibly on his face. 

"Hi Lars." Even his voice reflected his physical decay. Lars was speechless. It took a moment of silence before Steven said he had to go, stating he was late for physical therapy. He turned in his wheelchair and exited the store, Lars still stood by the doorway. Noticing he had left, Sadie frowned at Lars. 

"I get you're surprised but you could've at least said something..." 

Steven couldn't sleep. 

He lay wide awake on his bed, staring at the ceiling with dejectedly tired eyes. He wanted to sleep, but something was keeping him from closing his eyes. It haunted him. 

Just outside, just outside the door of his home, was the ocean. 

It. Was. So. Loud. 

He grunted and shoved his face into his pillow, covering his ears with the sides. While it muffled the sound enough for him to relax, it wasn't a sustainable position. Eventually, he gave up, and sat up to weigh his options. His eyes drifted over to the door in the temple. His mother's room was still available, right? 

Memories of pale blue hair and flowy dresses flashed before him, causing a shiver to crawl up his spine. Okay, so the room in the temple wasn't an option. 

"Yo dude, you alright?"

He quickly noticed Amethyst's worried expression from the stairs. Despite himself, he nodded. 

"I'm fine, I just... can't sleep." He sighed. "Has the ocean always been this loud?" 

Amethyst looked slightly disturbed by his sentence, but didn't indicate so. She hopped up and sat on the bed beside him, ignoring how Steven recoiled at the sudden movement. 

"If you want you can sleep in my room." She shrugged. He instinctively wrinkled his nose. 

"Your room has more weird pathogens than have been discovered, Amethyst." 

"Well..." She snapped her fingers as a thought occurred. "I know just the place!" 

"A... a barn?" 

Steven stared up at the old wooden building with wonderment, hoping it didn't look more destroyed than it already was in daylight. Amethyst leant over the handles on his wheelchair, a cocky smirk on her face. 

"Brilliant, right?" 

Steven only sighed. 

"Honestly I'll take anything at this point." 

Steven lay on his back on top of a pile of blankets, staring at the night sky through a small gap in the ceiling. Amethyst had gone back to the beach house to get his pyjamas, food, and some pillows, leaving him alone. She wasn't gone for more than a couple minutes, but for some reason the absence of someone made Steven feel uneasy. 

He held his hand up in front of his face, grimacing at how white it was. He hadn't seen sunlight in over a month, after all. Dr. Maheswaran even had to give him Vitamin D supplements (along with various other medication to keep him healthy- or as healthy as he could be in his condition). 

The snap of a branch snapped him out of his thoughts. 

Steven sat up, squinting through the darkness. When he saw nothing, he let himself relax, if only slightly. There was a moment of silence where only his breath was heard. A second passed. Nothing. 

Despite feeling increasingly anxious, he lay back down on his side and stared into the corner of the barn. Although it was virtually abandoned, it was it seemingly good shape for an old wooden building. These thoughts kept repeating in his head, desperate to keep the creeping anxiety out of his mind. Steven closed his eyes, ignoring any other sounds around him, and instead focusing on falling asleep. 

For a moment, there was peace. A moment later, he was jolting awake, a metallic hand clasping over his mouth. 

"AaRH! Let me go!" 

Steven fumbled around in Peridot's arms as they arrived at the galaxy warp, slapping and kicking until she dropped him. 

"I've had enough of this!" She exclaimed. Her strange detached fingers pointed at him as a green light engulfed his body, and he quickly found himself on top of the destroyed off-planet warp; the biggest, right in the centre. The green light disappeared, and he was dropped onto the sleek crystal. 

He grunted, but quickly sat up to glare at her as she paced back and forth. 

"You have to fix this! I've got no probonoids, I've got no foot, and I've gotten no response from Yellow Diamond! You're my last chance to get off this gem-forsaken planet!" She ranted. 

"Hey I'm not doing too great either! I sleep in a barn, my legs don't work, and I found a zit on my face this morning! If I can't fix my own body, what the hell makes you think I can fix a warp pad?!" He argued back, feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable. 

"Okay." She wiped her hand across her face. "Lapis Lazuli had healing powers. So by default, you do too, despite being this weird watered-down version of her." 

Steven paused. 

"...Pun intended?" 

"Argh! I don't have time for this!" Peridot cried. "Can you fix it or not?" 

"I guess I can try..." 

Steven spat on his hand and slapped it down onto the crystal. Nothing. 

"...What was that? It didn't do anything!" She slumped down onto the floor in front of Steven. 

"My... powers haven't really been working recently..." He sighed. 

"So that's it then." She laughed to herself in disbelief. "I'm gonna die here!" 

"We all die someday, no need to be so dramatic." He rolled his eyes. Peridot grunted at him, her fingers pulling at her triangular hair. 

"Yeah well 'some day' might be sooner than you think!" 

"What do you-" 

Steven was interrupted by the distinct sound of the warp pad behind them activating. Peridot groaned in annoyance and stood up, clearly preparing for an oncoming fight. The light of the warp disappeared, and three crystal gems stepped off, weapons drawn. 

"There he is!" Exclaimed Pearl. 

"Peridot..." Garnet muttered under her breath, bursting forward and launching a punch towards her face. Peridot dodged with a surprised squeal, reeling back and trying to run away, before Amethyst's whip wrapped around her midsection. 

"WHY won't you just leave me alone!" She cried out, sending an electrical impulse down the whip. Amethyst yelped and let go, but not before Garnet took hold of it and pulled Peridot towards her. 

"Stop! You can't do this; I'm the only one who knows about the-" 

With that, she was poofed. 

"Ew, sick- there's bits of her everywhere!" Exclaimed Amethyst, staring down the green arms, legs, and fingers scattered all over the floor. She quickly tossed them over the edge of the galaxy warp, Steven wincing as they hit the water below with a splash. 

"Guys, she was trying to tell us something." He said. 

"Those were just the desperate lies of a gem that's been caught. You don't need to worry about her anymore." Garnet replied, picking him up off the ground. 

"Thank the stars this is finally over..." Said Pearl as they warped away. 

Steven waited for the gems to go back into their rooms before deciding to do anything. He told Amethyst he'd warp back to the barn after having a snack, so she reluctantly retreated into her own room. 

He steeled himself, and with a brief glow of his gem, the door opened into the blue oasis that was his mother's cloudy paradise. 

"I need to go to the basement!" He called out. Some clouds parted, revealing stairs leading down. He glanced down at his wheelchair. 

"...Seriously?" 

The stairs flattened, and he began to wheel his way down. 

He arrived at the bottom, his eyes widening at the sight of the hundreds of gems bubbled above him. 

"Oh, this is gonna take forever..." He whispered to himself, frantically glancing around for the triangular green gemstone. Steven perked up when he spotted it... high in the air, much like the other bubbled gems. 

"Okay how am I gonna do this?" 

He gripped the sides of his chair, his muscles straining painfully as he tried to stand. His arms shook as his toes curled in concentration. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead, but after an eternal battle, he finally managed to stand- albeit leaning heavily on his wheelchair. 

Using the wheels as a makeshift walking aid he slowly trudged over to where Peridot's gem floated above him in a red bubble. He tried to reach up and grab it, but it was just out of his reach. Grunting in frustration, he considered his second option. 

Taking a deep breath, Steven steeled himself. Long, elegant, watery wings extended from his back. They flapped a couple times, but Steven knew the hardest part was yet to come. 

He just had to... take off. Somehow. 

Bending his knees, he hopped into the air, crying out in pain as his legs gave out beneath him. He managed to grab Peridot's gem, but his powers didn't take long to start malfunctioning. His wings disappeared and he crashed to the ground, the bubble containing Peridot popping as it made contact with the ground. 

So much for a graceful landing. 

Her gem clattered to the ground, but a second later it was levitating with a dull green glow. Her body manifested in seconds and Steven watched as she immediately began yelling profanities the moment her body reformed. 

"-the cluster, you insufferable, half-formed, traitor, mega-clods!" 

Peridot paused, quickly noticing her lack of height. She whipped her head around when she heard a long exaggerated gasp coming from behind her. 

"Oh. My. God." Said Steven from his spot on the floor. 

"My limb enhancers! Where are my limb enhancers?!" She fumbled, patting herself up and down. Her face crumpled when she heard him snickering. 

"Ahaha! I can't believe I was ever afraid of you! You- you're like an angry little slice of pie!" He snorted, covering his face with his hand. 

"Stop talking!" She spat back. "I demand to know where this place is, and where I-!" She suddenly stopped, noticing the endless array of bubbled gems stretching high up above them. 

"Oh my stars... you're going to harvest me?!" She cried. 

"What? No-" Steven was interrupted by a sharp sting on his face. "Ow! Did... did you just slap me?" 

Peridot paused. "Did it hurt?" 

"Yeah, kinda..." 

"Aha!" She exclaimed, using both her arms to repeatedly slap his face. "Yes! Feel my unbridled rage!" 

It only took a second for Steven to grab her head and push her back, watching in amusement as she slapped the air between them. Noticing this, Peridot grunted and jumped away from him. 

"This is outrageous! You- you smash me into a limbless cloud, you trap me in your harvesting chamber, and you... you called me cute!" If Steven didn't know any better he could've sworn he saw smoke coming out of her ears. He sighed. 

"Could you yell at me later? I'd rather get back to my chair first." He gestured over to his lonesome wheelchair. Peridot pulled a face. 

"Chair? It has wheels." 

"Hence why it's called a wheelchair." Steven rolled his eyes. "I can't walk so I use a mobile chair." 

"Interesting..." Peridot narrowed her eyes as she studied the chair, her pupils scanning its every aspect. She poked and prodded, causing Steven to become increasingly irritated. He dragged himself over, glaring at her to move as he hauled himself onto the chair. Taking ragged breaths, he eventually managed to sit on it comfortably. 

"This is ridiculous! How come you get a whole chair and I don't get my limb enhancers?!" 

"Life isn't fair." He replied flatly. 

"Argh! If you won't give them to me, I'll get them back myself!" With that, she had turned around and began to storm off towards the door. 

"No wait they'll see you!" He called after her, frantically wheeling himself to follow her out the door. 

She emerged from the temple doors, euphorically shouting; "FREEDOM IS MINE!" 

Her euphoria didn't last long as she quickly noticed the three crystal gems sat at the kitchen counter, staring at her with wide eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL SAW THE NEW EPISODES RIGHT
> 
> also please leave a review, reading comments brightens my day!


	24. When It Rains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a thunderstorm at Beach City.

Connie laughed at Jeff, pointing at the blob of ice cream he had on his nose. He snorted and wiped it off, laughing along with her. The pair walked down the boardwalk, eating ice cream to cool down from the heat of the early morning sun. 

"So how are things going with Steven? I hear he's doing better." Asked Jeff. Connie's smile diminished slightly. 

"Well..." She sighed. "We haven't really talked since he woke up. He's been so... distant and cold. I don't blame him; he's been through a lot, but..." She trailed off, not really being able to find the right words. "He's changed." 

Jeff looked towards her, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. 

"It's not the end of the world. It's best if you just give him some space for a while until he sorts things out, y'know?" He tried. Connie smiled at him. 

"Yeah, you're right." 

"Anyway, on a more positive note, I got us two tickets to Funland!" Connie's face brightened as he said this, and the pair quickly ran off towards the amusement park, excitement written legibly on their faces. 

"Peridot! You can't hide in there forever!" Called out Steven, fighting the urge to roll his eyes as he banged on the bathroom door. 

"You may have won the war but the battle isn't over, crystal CLODS!" She spat back, her voice muffled by the door. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl stood behind Steven, staring in irritation at the door the little green gremlin hid behind. 

"Should... should we tell her that's the bathroom?" Said Pearl. 

Amethyst rattled the doorknob, retorting that it was locked. 

"Peridot, open the door!" Shouted Garnet. The four gems looked at each other with wide eyes as they heard the toilet flushing. 

"If you're trying to flush yourself down the toilet it won't work- trust me, I've tried." Called Amethyst. The flushing stopped. 

"How did she get out? We bubbled her!" Said Pearl. 

"Maybe we need a bigger bubble?" 

"My bubbles are fine." Garnet sassed. 

"Oh yeah, that was me." Deadpanned Steven, ignoring the shocked look on the gem's faces. "What?! She knows something- something that made her scared." 

"Duh- homegirl knows we're gonna beat her into a grain pancake." Slurred Amethyst, punching her fist into her palm. 

"No, it was something called... the 'cluster'? I think?" 

"That's right, you pebbles! You don't even know what's coming!" Peridot screamed from inside the bathroom. 

"That's fine. If fighting won't work, we can just have a civil conversation." Reasoned Garnet. 

"As if I'd negotiate with you, filthy war machine!" 

"Okay." Garnet's gauntlets were summoned onto her hands. "Let's kick her butt." 

"Yeah! Poof me again! Then have fun trying to talk to me when I'm in a BUBBLE!" 

"As much as I hate to say it, she's got a point." Said Pearl. "Unfortunately, if she's got information, she's more valuable to us like this." 

"So... she just stays in the bathroom?" Said Steven. 

"Nah." Replied Amethyst. "I've got a better idea." 

Connie pulled her arm back, her left eye closing as she aimed at her target. Then, her hand burst forward, the ring she held flying off her finger and landing perfectly over a bottle, its top sticking out through the ring's hole. Despite internally celebrating, she took a step back with a sigh. 

"So... that's, like, one out of ten." Retorted Jeff with a snicker. 

"This game sucks- I swear it's rigged." She groaned in response. "I always thought I had pretty good aim! Safe to say I'm better with swords." 

"Sorry, ma'am! That was your last ring!" Exclaimed Mr.Smiley with an enthusiasm that made Connie uncomfortable. 

"Let's go..." Whispered Jeff, grabbing her hand and pulling her to another game. 

Steven was seconds away from slamming his face against a wall. 

Peridot pointed another random object she found on the floor in his face, loudly questioning whether or not it was a weapon. This had been going on for more time than he cared to keep track of. 

He leaned back in his wheelchair, sighing as he looked up at the barn's wooden ceiling. 

"Peridot..." He drawled, causing her to pause. "I'm not gonna hurt you. And whatever's going on with this... 'cluster' thing, I want to help." 

"Hm, while I appreciate the sentiment, I've seen what you're capable of. A power like yours... I don't know if I can trust it." She retorted, indignantly huffing. "And it doesn't matter if you think you can help with the cluster. It's unstoppable. It's inevitable. We're all going to die." 

"What is it, anyway? I doubt it's as devastating as you're making it out to be." He said, ignoring the last part of her statement. 

"My mission. The reason why I'm on this sad rock in the first place!" She pinched the bridge of her nose and sat on the floor beside Steven. "I was supposed to check the progress of the cluster. Just in and out, before it hatches. I wasn't supposed to get stuck here! But now, it's going to emerge, and nothing can stop it, and we'll all be shattered!" She threw her arms up dramatically. 

"Okay, okay, slow down. Hatching, emerging..." 

"You wanna know?" Peridot stood up in front of him, her face inching closer to his. "You really wanna know?" He simply nodded. She opened her mouth to speak. 

Suddenly, a clap of thunder, immediately followed by the violent sounds of pouring rain. 

Peridot squeaked in terror, quickly scrambling onto Steven and gripping onto his shirt. He looked down at her questioningly. 

"Why are you being weird?" He spoke flatly. 

"It's happening!" Her voice trembled. "The cluster! It's emerging!" 

"It is?!" 

"Well what else could be making that horrific noise?!" She spat back. 

"Oh. That's just thunder." Steven offered a comforting smile. Peridot glanced up at him, a silent plea to elaborate. He wheeled them over to the portable cooker that currently boiled a soup he was making, an idea popping into his mind.

"Wow, it is coming down hard." Retorted Jeff as he and Connie huddled under a nearby canopy, watching as Funland quickly emptied out, its residents running away from the rain. She simply nodded at his statement. 

"We're probably gonna be stuck here a while." She replied. "Ugh, I can't believe I forgot to bring a coat. I always check the weather forecast before going anywhere! I've never been this under prepared." 

Jeff snickered at her antics. He glanced up at Connie's glum expression, a grin blossoming on his face. 

"Remember in The Unfamiliar Familiar: A Wanted Curse, when Lisa and Freemest dance in the rain?" He said. Her eyes widened, if only slightly. 

"Yeah?" 

Jeff took her hand into his own, pulling her up from the bench they previously sat on. With a surprised yelp, Connie suddenly found herself under the rain, her hair and clothes sticking to her the wetter she got. The pair laughed, and she couldn't help but find herself blushing at the sight of Jeff's dark damp hair being swept back. 

Holding each other's hand's, they spun around, laughing euphorically. 

It only took a moment before Connie became dizzy, her arms clinging to Jeff's shoulders in an attempt to regain balance. They were close- closer than they had ever been- their faces inches away from each other. 

Before she could react, Connie suddenly felt a pair of lips press against her own. 

"Well he's been so down in the dumps lately, I thought he'd enjoy a treat." Said Amethyst to Pearl as they walked across the boardwalk, a bag of donuts in hand. 

"Amethyst, you know he's making his own dinner tonight." She sighed. "Oh well, let's just get out of this rain." 

The pair turned a corner, Amethyst snickering as Pearl rolled her eyes. Suddenly, the shorter gem froze, stopping abruptly. 

"Amethyst? What's- oh dear." 

Her eyes landed on the sight of Jeff and Connie sharing her kiss, and she quickly recoiled. Amethyst placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder. 

"Let's go." She whispered. 

They decided to take a different route back to the barn. 

Connie couldn't explain it, but she found herself kissing him back. For only a split second, before memories of blue eyes and deep waters and soft lips flooded her mind, causing her heart to clench. 

This... this didn't feel right. 

She quickly pulled away from him, a gasp escaping her lips. A trembling hand covered her mouth, her eyes downcast in shame. 

"Connie?" She heard Jeff whisper. 

"I- I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, pivoting on her heel and sprinting away from him, as fast as her legs could carry her. She could hear Jeff calling after her, but she just kept running, her skin soaked through by the rain. 

"You've never heard of rain before?" Spoke Steven. Peridot nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Here, pretend this soup is the ocean." He gestured to the soup in front of him. "When the sun warms it up, the water evaporates into clouds." He lifted the lid off, white steam bellowing into the air, the aroma of spices and vegetables accompanying it. "Just like this steam. Then, when the clouds get really heavy, it rains." 

He placed the lid back on, Peridot's eyes sparkling in wonder at the sight of the droplets of water on the lid's underside. 

"So scalding liquid pours down from the skies?" She retorted sceptically. 

"No it's just water. It can't-" His voice faltered slightly. "It can't hurt you." 

Seeing she wasn't convinced, his face hardened. 

"Look, I'll show you." 

Leaving his soup behind, he wheeled himself over to the doors, opening one ajar. He then found himself outside, rain soaking him to the very bone. He ignored how his wheels sunk into the muddy grass. 

"See? It's fine." Steven held his arms out, his heart aching at the sensation of the broken connection between him and the water. "Come on out." 

Peridot poked her head out behind the door, examining the rain with suspicion. Her hand slowly edged towards the outside. For a moment it snapped back in hesitation. Regaining her courage, she finally held her hand out. 

Cool droplets of water splashed onto her palm, causing a shiver to run up her spine.

A moment later, she found herself completely outside, the rain running down her skin and weighing down her hair. She stood in awe, mouth agape as she stared at Steven. 

"Well? Pretty cool, right?" He grinned. 

"Yeah." She said. "Cool."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is out so late, i've been super busy. 
> 
> it really hit me that Steven Universe is ending soon, and honestly i'm scared of losing this amazing fandom- the art, the fiction, the community altogether. whatever happens, this show will always hold a special place in my heart. 
> 
> but remember, just because the show is ending, doesn't mean i'm giving up on this story!   
> thanks, and please leave a review!


	25. Back to the Barn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot decides to tell the gems about the cluster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... Steven Universe really ended, huh. I can't explain how much my heart breaks over this incredible series being over, but then I remember the good times we had and I'm overjoyed that this show was a part of my life. I cannot explain how hard I cried when I watched the finale! Ha! 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for sticking with me during this story. I love this AU, and I'm glad you do too. Just because the series is over doesn't mean Steven's story ends- whether it's original Steven or our blue one. I hope all of you see this story through to the end with me! Thanks so much for reading, enjoy this new chapter!

"Steven... thank you." 

Steven glanced up, his eyes wide in surprise at Peridot's words. The pair had only just gotten back inside, and Steven was busy hanging his hoodie up to dry while waiting for his soup to finish. 

"For what." He replied. 

"For explaining this...' rain' business to me. You're a much more intelligent creature than I initially thought. Much more useful than those other clods..." She sighed, looking pensive for a moment. "I've decided to tell you about the cluster." 

"I feel like this information would be more useful to the gems." He raised a brow. 

"No! You're the only one I need! I could show you now, but I have nothing! My arm attachments, my fingers, my screens, my log- it's all gone! But all of my logs up to date 652 still exist, uploaded to the Prime Kindergarten." She placed both hands on his shoulders, a pleading look in her eyes. 

"I am not taking you to a Kindergarten." His expression remained the same. 

"Don't you want to know about the cluster?!" She spat back. Steven rolled his eyes, brushing her hands off of his shoulders. 

"Peridot, the Kindergarten is full of fusion monsters and my powers don't work. It's too dangerous to go without backup." He explained. Peridot huffed. 

"Fine." She glanced up at him. "I'm not surprised the Kindergarten has been overrun- it's so poorly managed. It must've been in much better condition when you first emerged." 

"Emerged?" 

"Yeah. You're a some sort of Lazuli, aren't you? A Lapis or Lazurite? I'm assuming Era 2, during the war. Resources were dwindling so much back on Homeworld that there was a rush to create new soldiers. Many usually aristocratic and rare gems had to be made here, on Earth, to accommodate the demand for powerful fighters." Peridot paused. "You must have been made in the Prime Kindergarten, along with a multitude of other quartzes." 

"No, I come from my mom and dad, way after the war." 

"Are those some kind of rocks? Or a different planet?" 

"No, no, nothing like that. My dad's from Earth, but my mom's a gem." He tugged his collar down, showcasing his mother's gemstone. 

"So you're some sort of hybrid? How is that possible?" She examined his gem closely, her eyes flitting back and forth from his gem to his face. 

"I am not explaining human reproduction to you." 

"Well why not?!" 

"You'll thank me later." 

After a brief update to the gems upon their return, the five of them hurried to warp to the Kindergarten to retrieve the information. 

Steven ignored the ache in his arms as he struggled to push the wheels of his chair across the dry soil. He paused for a moment to catch his breath, adjusting the strap of his quiver. Noticing his strain, Garnet sauntered over. 

"Steven, let me-" 

"I'm fine!" He snapped, shooting her a glare. "Leave me alone." 

Garnet faltered, but refused to let the hurt show on her face. Steven was still angry at her- that much was clear. She decided he just needed space for a while. She didn't want to think about what he thought of her being a fusion after... a shiver shot up her spine. No, she definitely didn't want to think about it. 

Amethyst and Pearl lagged behind the rest of them, often glancing worriedly at Steven's brooding face. 

"We have to tell him." Amethyst suddenly blurted, causing Pearl to cringe inwardly. 

"No! He's been through enough recently, he certainly doesn't need..." She sighed, running a hand over her face. "He'll be heartbroken." 

"We can't just keep this from him. He's going to find out eventually... wouldn't it be better if we told him instead of him finding out on his own?" Said Amethyst. Pearl looked down at her thoughtfully, contemplating on the best course of action. 

"We'll tell him when we get home." She sighed. 

Peridot stopped when they reached a familiar rectangular hole in the ground. 

"It's down there." She pointed, causing Steven to frown and glance down at his wheelchair. 

"Well I can't fly down there again." He mumbled. 

"I'll give you a piggy back!" Exclaimed Amethyst, shapeshifting into a disturbingly muscly pig. 

"No, it's fine." He replied as Amethyst shapeshifted back. "I'll wait up here. Let me know what you find." 

Peridot felt strangely uncomfortable at the notion of Steven not coming. She certainly wasn't on solid ground with the other gems- Steven was pretty much the only thing that made the Crystal Gems... tolerable. He did free her, after all. 

Reluctantly, the gems hopped down the hole, leaving a defenceless Steven alone. 

"I'm kinda worried guys... what if one of those fusion monsters attacks Steven while we're down here?" Said Amethyst. 

"I wouldn't worry too much. They usually lay dormant until provoked. As long as we're quiet, I doubt they'll be alerted." Replied Peridot, looking around the tunnel. She silently cringed at her machines that had been destroyed from water damage. 

"What's the deal with those things anyway?" Retorted Amethyst back. 

"When it became clear that Earth was no longer a viable colony, Homeworld decided to use it for something else." Peridot picked up a piece of discarded metal. "A series of experiments... a gem geoweapon." 

The atmosphere in the room became increasingly tense. The gems stopped whatever they were doing, listening intently to the small green gem. 

"I wasn't lucky enough to be around for that. But I read over a few hundred years of reports!" She cackled cheekily. She walked over to the control panel, balancing on her toes to reach the top. Her hand slapped onto it, but she frowned when it did nothing. 

"It's sustained too much water damage. We need to restore the power." Peridot shot an irritated glare at the other gems. 

With a swift kick to a panel in the wall, it came loose, revealing the multitude of ruined wires behind it. She reached inside and fumbled with a couple wires until the room lit up; it was dim, but functioning nonetheless. She placed her hand on the control pad and immediately hundreds of files for failed gem shard experiments appeared on screen. 

"That's a lot of shards..." Gulped Amethyst. 

"This is horrible..." Whispered Pearl. 

Garnet remained silent. 

"We were growing them here at this very site." Peridot explained, a dilapidated image of the Earth appearing on screen, a yellow area highlighted at its core. "But these were just prototypes for the final product; a singular, giant, artificial fusion comprised of millions of gem shards... the cluster." 

The gems gasped. Dread filled the room. 

"Right now, it lies dormant, incubating in the Earth's core. But when it forms... it'll destroy the planet. The prototypes are already emerging. The cluster is next. If we can't get off this planet, we'll all be shattered!" Peridot exclaimed. 

"Well then we have to stop it." Garnet spoke, determined. 

"Garnet..." Pearl tried, but was quickly waved away. 

"Those fusions are too far gone- they're nothing but a mindless abundance of shards. As much as it hurts to say it, it needs to be destroyed." She said, her face visibly tense as her fists clenched. 

"I suppose we have a chance..." Drawled Peridot, examining her fingernails. The gems looked at her in confusion. "Steven has all the information we need about earth and its erratic behaviour. Put that together with my extensive knowledge of the cluster, and we might just be able to stop it. Along with your help, of course." She gestured towards them. "He was very adamant about that..." 

"Then we should get to work." Said Garnet, the rest of the gems nodding in agreement. 

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the surface, followed by a shout. 

"Steven!" They exclaimed, scrambling to the exit. 

Steven lined up a shot, quickly releasing the arrow and watching as it poofed one of the many fusion mutants sprinting towards him. Well, that was one down, out of... oh no. He swiftly aimed a second arrow, poofing another monster and repeating the process. 

They were getting closer. 

One of the injectors had crumbled and crashed to the ground (he's assuming from negligence it had withered down and broken), alerting the fusion experiments and causing them to attack. 

Steven pulled back a third arrow, aiming it at the ground beneath the feet of the monsters. He released, watching as it exploded as soon as it made contact with the dirt. The monsters were thrust into the air, many poofing on impact. 

He sighed, relaxing for a moment. It didn't last long- the remaining monsters stood back up, fumbling towards him with mangled limbs. He squeaked in terror, quickly aiming another arrow towards them. He released it, his heart rate spiking as the arrow skimmed past them, missing completely. 

He cursed under his breath and wheeled himself backwards a couple metres before pulling out another arrow. Before he could even aim it at the monster closest to him, a spear impaled it, causing its form to dissipate into clouds. 

"Pearl!" Steven exclaimed. 

The rest of the monsters were quickly taken care of, safely bubbled and put away. By the time the fight was over, Peridot had finally managed to crawl out of the hole, panting heavily. 

"You clods left me down there!" She growled in a fit of adorable anger. 

"Steven was in danger. You took too long." Garnet deadpanned. 

"Whatever, it doesn't matter." Snapped Steven. "Just tell me what you found and let's go home before more of those things show up." 

"The tools and materials in the barn are more than enough to get started." Pearl gestured the the junk cluttered around the barn. Peridot examined a couple items then nodded. 

The pair walked over to a blackboard Pearl had previously set up, where Steven sat using his phone beside it. 

"Hm, yes this is adequate. Thank you." Peridot said, dropping a stick of chalk in Pearl's hand and motioning for her to leave. 

"Uhh... what is this?" Pearl narrowed her eyes at the tiny gem. 

"You can go now." Peridot rolled her eyes when Pearl didn't move. "That will be all!" She said louder, clapping her hands. 

"How do you get her to leave...?" Peridot leant over to Steven, who simply shrugged, not looking up from his phone. 

"Excuse me, I'm not going anywhere! I'm here to build the drill!" Pearl snarked back, crossing her arms indignantly. 

"No, you're confused. You're a Pearl. You weren't made for building things like this! You were made to stand around, and look nice, and uh, hold stuff for your superiors! It's the rules!" 

"I guess rules are made to be broken!" Pearl replied. 

"Are you kidding me?!" Peridot exclaimed. "Nothing is made to be broken!"

"Pinatas." Quipped Steven. 

"Glow sticks." Retorted Amethyst as she walked by. 

"Spaghetti when you have a small pot." Said Steven, a small cheeky grin blossoming on his face.

"Argh! It doesn't matter!" Peridot gripped her hair in frustration. "You can belong to me for now. Ha! A peridot with a pearl! What would they say back home...!" 

"That's enough!" Pearl put her hands on her hips, leaning over Peridot authoritatively. "In case you've forgotten, you're on our world now! I didn't fight a thousand year war for this planet's independence to take orders from the likes of you! Accept it, Peridot! Things don't work like they did back on Homeworld anymore." 

"Excuse me? I am a natural technician and certified kindergartener. I was made for this! You were made to take orders, not to give them!" Peridot shoved a finger into Pearl's chest. 

"Would both of you shut up!" Shouted Steven. 

The pair yelped, their heads turning to look at him. 

"Peridot, stop being annoying and just listen to Pearl. She's had more experience building stuff than anyone else- so I suggest you two start getting along. I may be disabled but I can still kick your ass." He glared at the both of them, causing Peridot to gulp nervously. 

"Right..." She mumbled in reply. 

"So." He raised an eyebrow, a smile on his face as he leant back in his chair. "Let's get started on this drill." 

Steven watched absently as Peridot and Pearl worked on an initial diagram for the drill, feeling increasingly bored. 

"Hey, Steven." 

He turned around, seeing Amethyst standing sheepishly behind him. She looked nervous, causing him to frown in concern. 

"Is everything alright?" He asked. 

"I need to tell you something." She looked up, her eyes finally meeting his own. "C'mon. Let's go somewhere more private." 

Amethyst made brief eye contact with Pearl, unbeknownst to Steven. They nodded. 

She grabbed the handles on the back of his chair and pushed him over to behind the barn, where they could speak privately. 

"What's wrong? You're starting to freak me out." Steven turned to shoot a worried glance at her. Amethyst sighed, moving to stand in front of him. 

"When I was in town with Pearl yesterday, I, um... I saw Connie." 

"Oh!" His face brightened. "How is she doing? I keep trying to get a hold of her lately but I guess she's busy-" 

"She was kissing Jeff." 

Silence fell upon them. 

Steven's face went slack, his features draining of emotion. Amethyst tried to ask if he was alright, but he quickly turned his head, his face scrunching up. That look alone was enough to break her heart. 

"I need a moment alone." He whispered to keep his voice from breaking. 

"Yeah." Amethyst walked away, leaving Steven alone. 

He was always alone.


	26. Full Disclosure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had seen him cry before, but never like this.

Click. 

"Log date- 7112. It's the third rotation of the Earth since commencement of a... collaborative approach to constructing this drill. Steven has yet to bestow his knowledge of this planet and make himself useful. He's become quiet. Irritable... more than usual, anyway. I can't get a word in edgewise about his productivity without him telling me to, quote, 'piss off.' I asked the Amethyst the meaning of this phrase and she is yet to give me a conclusive answer. That's all for today. Peridot, out." 

Click. 

That hybrid was an absolute enigma. 

After his brief conversation with Amethyst, a distinct change had been noted by Peridot. He didn't smile anymore. And while catching a glimpse of his grin was difficult regardless, this change made Peridot feel... bad. 

She looked down at the ground pensively as she approached Pearl, who was mapping out blueprints for the drill on the blackboard. 

"Peridot, would you mind taking a look at these blueprints?" Said Pearl. 

Peridot nodded and began to look over Pearl's notes, taking the chalk from her hand and occasionally making altercations. 

"Something is wrong with Steven." She spoke suddenly, causing Pearl to flinch. 

"I know." She sighed in response. 

"What happened? His glumness is affecting the construction of this drill." Peridot placed the chalk back in Pearl's hand. "What do you suggest?" 

"Oh!" Pearl exclaimed. "I'm not sure... maybe-" 

"What are you two talking about?" 

A low voice interrupted Pearl, causing the pair of them to jump and turn around. Steven sat slouched in his chair. He looked... tired. His curly hair looked more unruly than usual. His skin was lighter, and his eyes held no light to them anymore. 

Before either of them could reply, Garnet sauntered over. 

"Right, I chased away those cows. Let's get started on the drill." She said. 

"Before we begin..." Peridot drawled. "Would you mind unfusing? It's making me incredibly uncomfortable." 

Garnet fixed Peridot with a stare, clearly unamused, causing the smaller gem to look away nervously. 

"Yeah, Garnet." Steven spoke through grit teeth. "Unfuse." 

She was startled for only a moment, before turning to look at Steven in surprise. Unlike Peridot, he didn't look away, and instead retaliated with an icy glare. 

"Steven." Garnet said, calm as ever. "I am not unfusing just because Peridot is uncomfortable." 

Steven's expression turned dark, an unidentifiable hatred burning in his eyes. He crossed his arms, sitting up straighter. 

"I'm uncomfortable." 

Garnet could feel an unusual anger build up inside her. 

"I understand why you're uncomfortable, but I am not unfusing because of a decision you made." She snapped. "That's on you." 

"Garnet." Hissed Pearl. 

"Uh... what's happening?" Peridot looked around, feeling unnerved by the tense energy. 

"That's on me?!" Steven didn't bother containing his rage anymore. "You're telling me that I spent months trapped under the ocean for nothing?! I only did that to protect your ungrateful ass from someone who I literally watched try to kill you!" 

"What you did to Jasper was unnecessary and reckless! That is not what fusion is about! You of all people should know- did Stevonnie and Kyanite and Moonstone mean nothing to you?!" Garnet raised her voice; something she never did. This time, Steven didn't falter. 

"Well I apologise if my choices offended you!" He retorted sarcastically. "But I think I was justified after the one person I trusted the most had actually been lying to me my whole life! So sorry if my view on fusion was a little different after I found out that you didn't care enough to tell me the truth!" 

Silence suffocated the four of them. 

"You lie, Connie lies, what's next?! Who's going to lie to me next?!" He shouted. 

Pearl's hands shot to cover her mouth, tears springing to her eyes. 

"I'm not unfusing." Garnet whispered. "We don't have time for this. Let's get to work." She turned and marched off, leaving the rest of them in a stunned silence. 

"Dear Jamie... moved to barn... leave mail at doorstep." 

The paper crinkled in Connie's hands as she read it, becoming increasingly confused. She peaked in through the glass door, being met by a dark and empty house. Concerned, she stuck the paper back to the door and began to walk back down then steps, before spotting a large blue fluffy mass at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Lion!" She exclaimed, rushing over to pet him. 

He purred obnoxiously as she ran her fingers across his snout affectionately. 

"Where's Steven? I wanted to come see him before dinner." Lion licked his paw in response. "C'mon, just take me to him! I won't take long, I promise." 

Connie hopped off of Lion as soon as they were transported through the portal. Her eyes couldn't help but widen at the beauty of the scenery. 

She found herself on top of a tall hill overlooking the countryside, the far away mountains and forest painted in a golden hue by the setting sun. The sky was a beautiful orange colour as the sun drifted below the horizon, indicating dusk. 

On the edge of the hill; a lonely figure in a wheelchair. 

"Steven?" She called. 

He gasped and whipped his head around, Connie's heart sinking at the sight of unmistakable tear marks streaking down his cheeks. He hastily palmed his eyes in an attempt to hide it. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Connie swiftly walked over to his side, a comforting smile on her face. 

Steven sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking away from her. 

"For-for once." He stammered, his voice still raw from crying. "If you could just take a break from your little joyful indifference routine, that'd be spectacular." 

"What?" Her face dropped. 

"She saw you." 

His head turned to look at her, his eyes wide and swimming with the pain of betrayal. 

"Amethyst saw you... kissing Jeff." 

Connie's breath hitched, her stomach dropping. Oh god- no, no, she could fix this. Surely. 

"Steven-" 

"And usually I wouldn't care, you're free to like whoever you want, but I-" He paused, letting out a shaky breath. "I thought our kiss meant something to you. I was stuck in a fusion for so long... when I saw you I couldn't believe it. And when we kissed, I..." 

He couldn't finish his sentence, choking on a sob all over again. 

"No, this is just a misunderstanding! Jeff kissed me, not the other way around; when I realised what was happening, I stopped it immediately, I promise!" Connie knelt in front of Steven, placing a hand on his cheek and wiping away a tear. "You're the only one I ever want to... kiss."

For a moment, she thought she had him back. 

"Ugh!" Steven exclaimed, slapping her hand away. "It's not just that! You've been avoiding my calls, ignoring my texts- you never want to talk to me anymore! Ever since I woke up, we've spoken like, what, twice?" 

Connie glanced away guiltily, her cheeks colouring in a dark blush. 

"When I woke up, and I saw you, I... I thought we would be together. But we're not." He whispered. "And I think I finally get why." 

She looked up, reluctantly meeting his eyes. 

"Go be with Jeff." 

Connie stood up, shaking her head. 

"No, I- I don't want to. I'm sorry I haven't been around lately, it's just... after you got back you became cold and distant, and I... I thought you could use some space." 

"Well you're right about one thing. I need space. You need to leave." 

His words made her blood run cold in her veins, but the reluctantly nodded nonetheless. She hopped onto Lion, sparing one last glance at Steven. 

Then just like that, she left, leaving Steven alone. 

He buried his face in his hands. 

He was always so alone.


	27. Too Far

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot is desperate to impress the best gem she knows.

"I can't wait to start rehab at the gym..." Mumbled Steven sarcastically, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

"You're gonna have to start walking again before that, kiddo." Greg sighed, watching as his son struggled to drag himself across the two banisters either side of him. His skinny arms trembled as they held him upright as he slowly managed to put one foot in front of the other. 

Steven only made it halfway before collapsing onto his knees, panting heavily. 

"This is ridiculous!" He groaned. "Believe it or not, I actually miss exercise. Now I can't even walk! I can't look at myself in the mirror anymore without cringing at my bony, stupid body and unnaturally pale skin- I literally look dead." 

"I'm sorry, Stu-ball, but this is just how things are gonna have to be for a while until you recover." Greg smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry about that stuff for now. Just keep up with your daily exercises and you'll be back on your feet in no time." 

"It's not just that, I..." Steven hesitated. "Dad, what if I never get my powers back? It's been weeks, and I can't even lift a tiny drop of water. I used to be able to command an entire ocean, and now... I can't even summon my wings." 

He ran a hand through his hair and grabbed back onto the railing, trying to haul himself up as Greg looked at him worriedly. 

"This is really bothering you, huh?" Greg said quietly. Steven nodded solemnly, finally managing to pull himself to his feet. 

"If it's any consolation, you've improved a lot with your physical rehab! It's only been a few weeks and you're already back on your feet. I bet you'll upgrade to crutches by the end of the day." Greg stood up, ruffling his son's hair. 

"Great. Crutches. Can't wait." Steven sighed. 

Amethyst suddenly burst in through the barn's double doors, a large grin plastered on her face. 

"Steven, come outside, I wanna show you something!" She hopped up and down with excitement, causing Steven to shoot her a reluctant look. Greg wheeled his chair over to him and he quickly sat down, glancing at his dad gratefully before wheeling himself outside with Amethyst. 

"What is it?" He asked. 

"Shhh! Look!" They stopped just a few metres away from where Peridot sat on the ground, smacking a microwave and occasionally tugging on the child leash that kept her bound to a nearby fence. 

"I just need a leverage optimiser!" Growled Peridot to herself, picking up the microwave and slamming into the ground. Steven stared at the scene with squinted eyes and his mouth slightly agape, itching the back of his head in confusion. 

"Is she... okay?" He leaned over to Amethyst, who only laughed harder when she looked at Steven's expression. 

She gave him a quick wink before sauntering over to the green gem, scooping a screwdriver off of the grass on her way. 

"'Leverage optimiser?' Did you mean screwdriver?" She said, snickering as Peridot snatched it from her hand. 

"It was outside my radius." The latter snapped in reply. 

"Hey, Peri... what do you call this?" Amethyst pointed to her nose. 

"A sense budge." 

"Ahaha! This?" Her eye. 

"Vision sphere." 

"These?" Her fingers. 

"Touch stumps." 

"Pffft- this?!" Her foot. 

"Gravity connectors." 

"...THIS?" Her behind. 

"THAT'S YOUR BUTT!!" Peridot exclaimed, her brows furrowed in frustration and fists clenched at her sides. 

Amethyst immediately collapsed, wheezing with laughter as she leant her hands on her knees, feeling weak from laughing so hard. 

"Peridot, you're killing me!" She panted, slapping her knee. 

"I am not!" Squeaked Peridot. "That would be violating our truce agreement!" 

"No, no! You're funny!" 

"...Funny?" 

"Peridot." Said Pearl and she walked over. "Once you get the magnitaud from the microwave we'll have everything we need apart from the drillhead." 

"Why don't I just get one from the injectors at the Prime Kindergarten." She deadpanned in response.

"I suppose that's something we could try... you're not going alone though." Pearl placed her hands on her hips, silencing Peridot when she tried to argue back in defiance. 

"I'll go with her!" Said Amethyst, putting an arm around the smaller gem's shoulders. 

"Okay, but keep a close eye on her." Said Pearl. 

Steven, seeing everything had been resolved, decided to head back into the barn and continue his physio therapy with his dad.

He wheeled himself inside, a determined look on his face. Greg glanced up in surprise. 

"Steven! I was just going to head back to the beach house and get you some food. Why don't you take a break for a while and we can eat?" He said. Steven shook his head. 

"No, I'm not hungry right now. I want to walk again." He pushed himself over to the banisters, grabbing onto either one and strainingly hauling himself to his feet. "I don't care if it takes all day, all week, all month- but I'm not gonna stop until I'm back on my feet. I'm sick and tired of not being able to do things for myself, so..." 

Greg placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Don't worry son, I get it. I'll help you." 

Click. 

"Log date; 7112. The Amethyst and I have volunteered to help dismantle the Era 1 drill. And while the Era 1 drills stylistically aren't as renowned as Era 2, they're certainly more efficient." 

"You making more nerd notes?" Amethyst hopped down beside her from the top on the drill, leaning up against it casually. 

"'Nerd?' What is... 'nerd?'" 

Amethyst only snickered in reply. 

"Can you use it in a sentence?" 

"'Nerd.'" Amethyst cleared her throat. "You, are a nerd." 

"As you can see, this planet is annoying, and everything is annoying." Peridot growled into her tape recorder. "Amongst its... transgressions, there's a need for the Amethyst to ask permission from the permafusion."

"Permafusion? Is that what you call Garnet?" Amethyst sneered jokingly. 

"I can call her many things... two things. Two clods, walking around like she's... one clod." Peridot giggled at her own joke. 

"Ahahahaha! You're a real gem, Peri!" 

"Yes. I am a gem." 

"Okay, okay- do Steven next! What's weird about our good ol' Steevo!" 

"What's not weird about him?" Peridot rolled her eyes. "He's some sort of hybrid abomination! I don't even understand how he functions! His organic half consumes so much energy that he has to constantly feed- and he still can't access his legs' mobility without a transportation device!" 

Amethyst's laugh was a little more strained at the last joke, but she still continued to keel over despite herself. Peridot gazed at Amethyst's snickering face, feeling the desperate need to continue to make her laugh. 

"The strangest thing is, Amethyst, is that you think you have to listen to them!" 

"...What?" She replied, wiping a tear from her eye. 

"You're the one who should be in charge! Pearl is a pearl, Garnet is a fusion, I don't even know what Steven's supposed to be- and, while his powers greatly excerpts yours- you're the only Crystal Gem who's actually a gem!" 

"Uhh... what'chu talking about, Peri?" 

"You outrank everyone on your team. They should be listening to you! You're a strong, singular, fully functional soldier. Despite the fact that you're defective!"

Amethyst's face immediately fell, her expression changed to one of hurt. 

"...What do you mean, 'defective?'" She spoke through grit teeth. 

"Well, sure! You're small! You're not supposed to be! Hold on, wait..." She pointed to the hole behind Amethyst. "Let me guess, that's the hole you came out of?" 

She pranced over to it, gesturing euphorically. 

"Too small, too low... The exit marks look about 500 years newer than the rest. This place must have been empty when you emerged. No wonder you have no idea what you're supposed to look like!" Peridot chuckled to herself, not noticing Amethyst's angry expression. 

"What... was I 'supposed' to look like?" She stared at the green gem through her furrowed brows. 

"Well, you're a quartz." Peridot paced around, a smug grin on her face. "They're huge, loyal soldiers. You should be twice your size... broad shouldered, intimidating, but... you, simply, stayed in the ground too long."

"Are-are you saying I'm wrong?!" 

"Ahahaha! Gemetically speaking, yes! When you think about it, it's also... funny!" Peridot laughed again. "Hey, 'soldier', why don't you help me get this hunk of drill off?" 

A bright flash of violet light, and Amethyst's whip had cut through the injector like butter. The drill head collapsed to the ground, dirt and debris hiking up into the air. Peridot flinched, but Amethyst didn't react. 

"See, look at that!" Quipped Peridot once the dirt cleared. "You can do everything a normal quartz can do! Let's head back and shove this thing in Pearl's face." 

"...Whatever." 

Peridot sat on the ground, examining different parts of the microwave she was dismantling earlier. Each useful component was separated into different piles, organised by their shape and material. 

Her concentration broke for a moment as she noticed Amethyst walking by, arms bundled with materials she was carrying over for Pearl. 

"Hey, Amethyst!" 

She turned her head around. 

"Check out this-" She picked up a hammer, examining it for a moment. "Rhythmatic pulverizer! Ahahahaha that's funny I'm so funny!" She fell backwards with laughter, but hesitated when she noticed Amethyst wasn't laughing with her. 

"Whatever, dude." Huffed Amethyst, whipping her head around and trudging away. 

"That was the incorrect response..." Peridot mumbled to herself. 

She decided to ask Steven for advice, considering he seemed to be the most eligible to talk to out of the other two... She noticed him exit the barn, moving around on a device she didn't recognise. 

She quickly stood and jogged over to him. 

"Steven! You're up!" She exclaimed. "And you have... wood-arm-legs!" 

Steven glanced down at his crutches, snorting at Peridot's words. 

"Crutches." He said with a shrug and a smile. 

"Crutches..." Peridot repeated, looking them over closely. She looked up, feeling smaller now that Steven stood at his full height, towering over her. 

"Anyway." She cleared her throat. "I need your advice." 

"What's wrong?" 

"Amethyst seems to... be ignoring me, and I'm struggling to figure out why." 

"Well..." He leant his crutches up against the fence and sat on top of it. "Did anything happen while you were going to get the drill?" 

"No- I like to think we had a rather productive conversation!" She struggled to get atop the fence, causing Steven to grab her waist and pull her up. "Thank you. Anyway, I simply pointed out her deformities; nothing I said wasn't factual! It's not like I have anything against her for being different from other quartzes!" 

"Oh, Peridot..." He slapped his palm to his face. "You can't just say that people are different, or wrong. You probably really hurt her feelings." 

"'Hurt her feelings?' What's that supposed to mean?"

"What's that supposed to-?" Steven interrupted himself and took a breath. "It doesn't matter; you just need to apologise." 

"...I'll consider it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: i've planned everything. every love interest, every plot point, every character arc, I EVEN HAVE AN IDEA FOR A FUCKING SEQUEL 
> 
> me: I KNOW EVERYTHING   
> me: AND YET  
> me: THIS ONE CHAPTER   
> me: E S C A P E S M E


	28. Alone at Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth helps Steven get over his fear of the ocean.

Steven stumbled over uneven flooring, quickly regaining his balance as Elizabeth dragged him across the dock. He was tempted to uncover his eyes, but knew it would ruin the surprise. 

"Where are you taking me?" He chuckled, but Elizabeth quickly silenced him. 

"It's a surprise! You're gonna love it, I promise!" She laughed. 

They came to a stop, and she allowed him to look. His hand fell away from his eyes, his blood quickly freezing in his veins. Miles of ocean stretched out before him- miles and miles and miles and miles- 

"Steven?" Elizabeth's voice snapped him out of his trance. "Are you okay?" 

His eyes glanced at her worried expression, his breath hitching in his throat. 

"I-" He swallowed. "I can't be here." 

"Look, I knew you'd be reluctant because of what happened to you, but water is a part of who you are, so I couldn't just let a bad experience take that away from you." 

The waves crashed on the shoreline, the sounds sending a shiver up Steven's spine. Elizabeth grabbed his hands, holding them close to her chest. 

"It... it was more than just one bad experience..." He whispered. 

"C'mon, please! My dad rented a boat- we can just relax and do some boating activities while you reconnect with the ocean. How's that sound?" She squeezed his hands a little tighter. 

"I don't know, Liz..." 

"Pleeaase! We even named the boat- 'The SS. Steevo'!" 

Despite himself, Steven snorted, a small smile gracing his features. 

"Alright, I'll... give it a shot." 

After stepping onto the boat's deck, Elizabeth introduced Steven to her father. 

"So you're the famous Steven I've heard all about!" 

Steven shook the hand of Elizabeth's father, forcing a friendly grin. He seemed like a jolly man- he was tall and chubby, with rosy cheeks and blonde curls that mirrored his daughter's. Steven thought he seemed like one of those goofy sit-com dads, always cracking jokes and poking fun at his kids. 

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." He replied politely. 

"I've heard some crazy stories about you having super powers! Little Lizzy's real creative, huh?" He chuckled. "And please, call me Tom!" 

"Daaaad, you're embarrassing me!" Elizabeth blushed. "And I wasn't joking- Steven's got some super cool powers." 

"Well, I used to have them." 

Elizabeth froze at his words, slowly turning to look at him with wide eyes. 

"You WHAT." 

"Yeah, I kinda... lost them. I can still summon my bow and quiver, though!" He laughed awkwardly, and he knew that was the end of that discussion. 

A couple minutes in and they were far away from the shoreline, blue water being the only thing visible as far as the eye can see. 

Steven sat huddled on one of the deck chairs outside, hugging himself to keep from trembling. He didn't like this one bit- he very much regretted going with Elizabeth on this trip. 

Speaking of, he glanced up, seeing her sit beside him on the long chair. 

"How are you doing?" She asked. 

"I... I'm not sure. I want to get over this stupid fear, but... being out here, I feel..." He trailed off, sighing. 

"I can't imagine this is easy for you, but the only way to get over your fear is by confronting it. Either way, you're safe here." She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he smiled up at her. 

They shared a brief hug, pulling apart when they heard Tom calling for them. 

He stood at the side of the deck, a fishing rod in hand and a bucket of bait beside him. 

"Hey, Steven- you ever go fishing before?" He said. 

"Not really. I mean, Yellow Tail tried teaching me before, but Onion kept trying to throw the bait at me so I had to get out of there quick." Steven shivered at the memory of being doused in a bucket of worms. 

"Well it's your lucky day- I'm a pro fisherman!" Tom slapped Steven across the back, causing him to choke on air. 

"Dad, winning a prize at a fair for fishing a rubber duck doesn't make you a professional." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. 

Tom ignored her and threw the baited hook into the water, flashing a cocky grin at Steven. 

Time passed. Minutes or hours, Steven couldn't tell. What he did know was that he was bored out of his mind. 

"When does the fish part happen?" He drawled, leaning heavily against the railing. 

"Well, sometimes it's not about the fish you keep but the company you- oh!" 

The hook bobbed up and down in the water, tiny waves rippling across its surface. Tom passed the rod to Steven, telling him to give it a try, which he hesitantly accepted. He began to reel it in slowly, feeling his mood lighten at the idea of having caught a fish. 

"It looks like a big one!" Elizabeth gasped. 

Steven suddenly burst forward, the rod pulling him towards the water as it fought against him. He yelped as Elizabeth grabbed onto his waist in an attempt to pull him back. 

"It's pulling so hard!" Steven said through grit teeth, his arms straining to fight against whatever was under the water. 

His grip tightened. Something was under the water. Something was fighting against him, something wanted control- 

He gasped in horror, the fishing pole snapping in half in his hold. 

He dropped it as if it burned his hands, its two halves clattering to the ground. 

"I- I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, quickly turning around and rushing off to the front deck. 

"Steven!" Elizabeth called after him, suddenly feeling guilty. 

"I guess a pole rental turned into a pole purchase..." Mumbled Tom, his daughter shooting him a glare. 

Steven held on tightly to the railing, struggling to calm his breathing. His heart hammered in his chest, his palms uncomfortably sweaty. 

His phone rang in his pocket, causing him to squeak in surprise. 

He fished into his hoodie pocket, his expression souring at the caller ID. 

'Connie <3'

He stared at his vibrating phone in his hand, his mind racing with silent chaos. With a moment's hesitation, his thumb pressed the red button. 

Exhaling, he shoved his phone back in his pocket, instead choosing to stare intently at the metal railing. 

"Hey." 

Elizabeth leant up beside him, her brows curved in worry. 

"You, uh, looked like a real pro fisher before the pole snapped!" 

Steven smiled at her attempt to cheer him up, a small 'thank you' leaving his lips. He was about to say something else, when- 

BANG! 

The pair yelled in surprise as a loud bang came from beneath the boat, its entire structure shaking intensely. It stopped for a moment, before a second one came, causing Elizabeth to topple to the ground. 

"Are you okay?!" Steven knelt down beside her, trying to help her up. She nodded. 

"I'm gonna ask my dad what's going on." She scrambled to her feet and raced over to the cockpit, leaving Steven to watch as she rushed away. 

Tom was stood by a smoking engine, frantically flipping through a user's manual. 

"Dad, what's happening?!" 

"Something's messing with the rudder, and this manual is completely useless!" He groaned. "I don't know how to fix an engine! Looks like we're going to be stuck here a while, kiddo." 

As Elizabeth walked away, she couldn't ignore the growing feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. 

Dark storm clouds flooded the once azure sky, casting a shadow over the ocean, giving the water an ominous grey colour. 

Elizabeth didn't like the prospect of being stuck at sea during a storm- she had read horror stories of rough seas and boats disappearing under tidal waves, the sailors never to be seen again, trapped at the bottom of the ocean. 

She walked over to Steven, who hadn't moved from his spot at the front of the deck. 

"It looks like we're going to be out here a while, at least until help arrives." She spoke solemnly, not wanting to worry him any more than he already was. "I'm so sorry; this is my fault. I just wanted you to have fun but everything's a mess... I shouldn't have made you come on this trip." 

"No, it's my fault." He sighed. "I'm the one to blame." 

"...That's not true." 

"I'm really trying to enjoy it out here, but..." His breath hitched in his throat. "I can't stop thinking about being fused as Malachite. How I used all my strength to hold us down in the ocean, how I was always battling against Jasper to keep her bound to me!" 

His fists were clenched painfully tight, his pupils small and panicked. 

"But it's not like that anymore." Elizabeth said softly. "You don't have to be with Jasper..." 

"No, it's not that, I-" Steven interrupted himself, burying his face into his trembling hands. When he finally looked up, Elizabeth was jarred at the expression on his face. 

"I miss her." 

"What?!" She exclaimed in reply. 

"We were fused for so long..." Steven stared down at his hands. 

"Steven-!" 

Another tremor racked throughout the ship, Tom running over to them, telling them to stay away from the sides. 

Below them, an orange hand grappled onto the anchor's chain. 

Jasper vaulted over the boat's railing, standing tall and intimidating, a psychotic grin on her face as her eyes landed on Steven. 

"Finally..." She growled. 

"Jasper!" Steven cried, gripping the sides of his head and curling into himself, shaking terribly. 

"That's Jasper?!" Exclaimed Elizabeth, fear spiking through her. Her father grabbed onto her shoulder, pulling her back in a futile attempt of protection. 

"I thought I'd never catch up to you!" She said, lightning flashing behind her. 

Despite himself, Steven looked up at her, his body frozen in fear. His limbs were isolated by his mind; he couldn't move. 

"You've been following us?!" He shouted. 

"I've been following YOU!" 

She took a step, causing Steven to immediately recoil. Elizabeth saw this, and stood in front of him protectively, despite her father's protest. 

"Stay away from him!" She yelled, praying her voice didn't crack in terror. 

Seeing this, Jasper burst into hysterics, laughing hauntingly. 

"You've got yourself another pet?" She cackled. "Hey, runt, you're defending the wrong person! He's the one you should be afraid of!" 

"That- that's not true!" Steven stood taller. 

"You can't lie to me, I've seen what you're capable of!" Jasper growled. "I thought I was a brute, but you...

you're a monster." 

Thunder crackled, droplets of rain falling from the sky as the waves became angrier around them. Elizabeth glanced up at Steven's terrified face, feeling a jolt of guilt course through her. 

He didn't protest. 

"Steven doesn't want anything to do with you!" Shouted Elizabeth, backing up slightly as Jasper got closer. 

"You've got a lot of nerve, talking to me like that." She stared down at the blonde. With a harsh shove, Elizabeth was thrown back, landing roughly on the ground next to her dad, who didn't hesitate to help her back to her feet. He then wrapped his arms around her, stopping her from rushing to defend Steven again. 

"Elizabeth!" Steven cried out, running to help her, but quickly finding himself being dragged back to his previous spot, Jasper holding desperately onto his hand. She then collapsed to her knees, rocking the whole boat. 

"Let's be Malachite again!" She exclaimed, causing Steven to gasp in surprise. Lightning struck in the distance. 

"Why... would you want that?!" He breathed. 

"I was wrong about fusion... you made me understand!" A power-hungry grin spread on her face. "Malachite was bigger and stronger than both of us! We could fly!"

"Steven, don't listen to her!" Elizabeth cried out. 

"Stay out of this!" Screamed Jasper, her voice scratching hoarsely. 

"I was terrible to you..." Said Steven. "I... I liked taking everything out on you. I needed you, I hated you!" He gripped his head with his hand, fingers curling into his hair as if in pain. "It was bad!"

"It'll be better this time- I've changed! You've changed me!" Jasper stomped towards him, causing him to recoil away until he was backed up against the railing, the ocean just metres below. "I'm the only one who can handle your kind of power!" 

"Together... we'll be unstoppable!" 

Steven stared into her eyes- an ethereal tawny that always struck fear into his heart. Her face was so hopeful, full of adoration and... and greed. He glanced away for just a moment, closing his eyes and listening to the furious currents and waves crashing below him. Calling out to him. 

Home... 

"No!" He shouted, his eyes snapping open. 

"What?!" 

"What we had wasn't healthy! I never want to feel like I felt with you- never again!" His breath shuddered. "So just... go." 

"Lazuli, please!" Jasper cried, the hope draining from her face. 

"It wouldn't matter anyway- my powers are gone." Steven continued. "And I don't think they're coming back..." 

Jasper paused for a moment, looking pensive. Her features suddenly morphed into a disgusting display of unbridled fury, her hope for power disappearing at her fingertips. 

"So that's why you haven't tried fighting me or flying away yet... you can't." Her voice became a throat ripping growl, anger dripping venomously off her tongue. 

Her hand shot out, grabbing Steven by the collar and lifting him up, dangling him over the edge of the boat. 

"You're useless to me now... go back where you belong." 

"NO!" Screamed Elizabeth. 

With a cry of terror, Steven was thrown overboard, disappearing with a splash. 

Jasper huffed, staring at the water. When Steven didn't resurface, grief briefly flashed over her face, before being replaced by a look of acrimony. 

Her head slowly turned, narrowed eyes landing on the hunched form of Elizabeth and her father. The former had tears streaming down her face, body trembling with fear. She felt her father's arms tighten around her, whispering apologies and prayers. 

"You're both pathetic." Jasper spat. "I oughta teach you a lesson..." 

She began to stomp towards the pair, before something rocked the boat, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. 

"What was that?!" She snapped, her head twisting and turning in every direction. 

The rain fell harder, the ocean roaring, thunder rumbling across the sky. Grey waves lapped furiously against the boat, rocking it from side to side. 

Then, an explosion. 

The water around the boat burst into the air, swirling in the sky, before it began to take shape. 

Towering over them, a... miscreation of water, eerily resembling the form of a boy. It opened its eyes, blank spheres of ice and animosity. 

At its centre, Steven stood, wings bared proud and threateningly. 

His face was uncannily blank as he stared down at the horrified face of Jasper. His hair and clothes appeared to float, charged with power. 

"Who's useless now, Jasper?" 

His voice echoed across the ocean, sound waves resonating across the water. Slowly, his arm raised in front of him, his water double mirroring his actions. 

In one swift movement, Jasper found herself in the grip of a watery hand, being lifted into the air. She blared in fright- a sound which brought a sick feeling of satisfaction to Steven. 

"GO BACK WHERE YOU BELONG." 

Lightning struck behind him, the thunder crackling ominously. 

The arm reeled back. 

"NO!" Shrieked Jasper. 

The next moment, she was gone, her cried no longer heard from a distance. 

Steven's water double dissipated, allowing him to simply hover back down to the deck. He landed delicately, barely making a sound. 

The thunder and rain had stopped. 

Despite facing away from them, Elizabeth knew he was crying. 

Shock prohibited her from moving, and she found herself simply staring at his back, his elegant watery wings shimmering in the light of the newly emerging sun. 

Wings that once brought wonderment and awe, now did nothing but remind her of his terrifying power. For the first time... she felt afraid. Afraid of Steven. 

Judging by her father's tight grip, he felt the same. 

"Steven...?" She tried. He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve before turning around. 

"I'm sorry you had to see that." He whispered. "I'll help you guys get home-" 

He took a step towards them, stopping when they gasped and recoiled back in fear. 

"What..." He paused. "You... you aren't scared of me, are you?" 

No reply. 

"I'm not gonna do anything, I promise. Jasper was going to hurt you, I had to do something!" 

Silence. 

Steven sighed, his face scrunching up, clearly stung. 

Gathering her courage, Elizabeth escaped her father's grip and walked over to Steven, engulfing him in a hug. He didn't make a move to hug her back. 

She pulled away, looking down sadly. 

"Maybe it's best if you leave." Said Tom thickly. 

"Yeah." Steven breathed in reply. Flashing a quick aggrieved smile at Elizabeth, he took a step back. 

Steven jumped into the air, his wings carrying him into the sky.

Elizabeth watched as he flew away, an empty sensation in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a review, reading your comments really brightens my day!
> 
> also, you’ll notice my new profile picture- that’s actually my rendition of blue steven! so if you wonder what he looks like, there’s the head shot :)


	29. The First Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order to bring the drill to completion, coordinates are needed. 
> 
> Elizabeth pays Steven one last visit.

Honestly? Nothing felt better than getting back to the routine. 

Early morning flights, daily sparring with Amethyst, getting donuts with dad, almost having a panic attack in the shower because the boiler broke and it was so fucking cold it reminded you of the unbearable pressure of the ocean- 

Well, almost back to routine. 

It was comforting to know that things could get back to normal. However, there was just these tiny constant reminders that drove Steven crazy. 

Working on the drill with Peridot reminded him of the unending threat of death at any given moment. The sound of his ringtone that made his heart leap into his throat because he just knew it was Connie trying to call him for the fifth time that week, but he just couldn't bring himself to talk to her because she broke his heart into a million pieces and spat on it like it was a worthless- 

Whoops. Getting carried away again. 

"Hey, Peri." 

He landed beside the small green gem, his wings retreating into his back. 

"Good morning, Steven." Peridot replied, not looking away from her blackboard notes. 

"I was just grabbing the last of my stuff. And, well, saying goodbye to you." He shrugged. Peridot looked up at him, an unreadable expression on her face. 

"I must admit, I am reluctant to see you go. Our few weeks as 'barn buddies', as you call it, has been... enjoyable." A small smile formed on her face, and Steven couldn't help but grin back.

He grabbed his bag, and after sharing a quick hug, he was back in the air. 

"Home sweet home!" 

Amethyst snickered at Steven as they entered his beach house for the first time in weeks. He took a deep breath, smiling at the nostalgic smell of home. 

"Man, it feels good to be back!" He laughed, hopping up the stairs and flopping down on his bed. 

"How much you wanna bet everything in the fridge's gone off?" Amethyst flopped down beside him. 

"Eh." He shrugged. "You're gonna eat it anyway." 

"Can't argue with that." 

They welcomed the comfortable silence that came. They weren't doing more than just staring up at the ceiling, but it was strangely cathartic. The soft sounds of the ocean waves gently lapping over the shore drifted in from the outside, and for the first time in long time, it brought a small smile to Steven's face.

He wasn't afraid anymore. 

Well, he was... but within reason. 

It was different from before- he could walk again, and his powers were back. He wasn't exactly thrilled at the circumstances he got his powers back under, but he was glad nonetheless. Despite having the occasional nightmare about his confrontation with Jasper, it reminded him that he wasn't helpless. He could take on the ocean. 

To summarise, he felt... better. Yeah, better! 

A knock at the door broke his train of thought. 

"Are we expecting anyone?" Asked Amethyst, suddenly protective. 

"Not that I know of... it's probably Jamie or something with my mail." 

Steven walked down the stairs, eyes widening at who stood at the door. Despite his better judgement, he opened it. 

"Hi." She spoke sheepishly. 

"What are you doing here?" He replied, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. 

"I kind of feel like we left things off on the wrong foot..." 

"You mean after I saved you and your dad's asses and you thanked me by kicking me off your boat?" Steven deadpanned, crossing his arms. 

Elizabeth sighed. 

"We both overreacted, okay? I knew you had cool powers but I didn't know how... well, I didn't know they were that... intense." She paused, seeing Steven's bored expression. "My point is, I'm sorry if I hurt you by making you leave. I was just scared, is all." 

"What about your dad?" 

"Oh, he's not okay with any of this. I kinda had to sneak out to come see you. But I had to apologise, so I don't regret it." She offered a small smile- one of which Steven did not reciprocate. 

"So I'm right to assume I won't be seeing you anymore?" He spoke hesitantly. 

Elizabeth didn't reply. 

"Right..." He breathed. "I thought as much." 

"For what it's worth, I really am sorry. I know we didn't hang out much, but the time we spent together... it was fun." She tried. 

"Don't apologise." Steven turned around and opened the door, stepping into his home. "I'm used to it." 

The door closed. 

"Wow, good job on the drill, it's looking good!" Steven smiled as he looked up at the large drill, a small blush forming on Peridot's face at his praise. 

"Well, it's almost complete. But before we can continue with its construction, I'd rather get the coordinates of the cluster first." She said.

Steven suggested they ask Pearl, considering she seemed like the most knowledgeable on that kind of information. Steven flew them back to the temple, and it didn't take long for them to find her. 

"Well, there is a diamond base that has that kind of information, but getting there is going to be tricky." Pearl said, looking pensive. "It's on the moon, and only accessible by warp pad." 

"We could take Lion." Suggested Steven, causing the other two to nod. He began to walk over to wake up his sleeping feline, but was quickly interrupted by Pearl. 

"Wait! We should probably wait for Garnet and Amethyst to-" 

"No!" Snapped Steven. Pearl flinched. "I am not going anywhere with Garnet." He spoke through grit teeth. 

"Steven, I'm sorry, but if we're doing something important it's better to have all of us there." Pearl reprimanded. 

"What? We're going to collect data. She doesn't need to be there." He insisted. Peridot watched the interaction with confusion; she knew something had happened between the hybrid and the permafusion, she just couldn't understand what. 

"I don't care if she doesn't have to be there or not. She's our leader, and should at the very least know what's happening. We're not going anywhere until she gets back." 

"You're acting like not telling Garnet something is some sort of crime! Well I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm getting those coordinates with or without you." He turned on his heel, grabbing Peridot's hand and dragging her along with him to Lion. "Come on, Peridot. We don't need them." 

"Steven!" Yapped Pearl, but he didn't hesitate to blatantly ignore her. 

Steven hopped onto Lion's back, Peridot clambering on behind and gripping his waist tightly. He patted Lion's side, and the feline quickly got into position to summon a portal. 

Pearl began to march towards them, but didn't get far. The room suddenly went cold as a scowl formed on Steven's face. 

The kitchen tap suddenly burst open, a flood of water spilling onto the floor. Pearl and Peridot yelped in surprise, Steven's hand shooting out as the water bent to his will. It shot up to the ceiling, hardening into ice, creating a frosty wall between him and Pearl. 

"Let's go." He murmured to Lion. 

A bright flash of light later, they were gone. 

Peridot screamed as they were transported to the moonbase. Lion skidded onto the floor, slamming into a nearby wall and collapsing to the ground from exhaustion. Lion's head flopped with a tired growl, causing a stab of guilt to jolt through Steven. 

"It's ok buddy, take a nap. You did a good job." He ran a hand through his mane affectionately before turning to help Peridot to her feet. 

"Any other time, I'd call you crazy. But we do need those coordinates." She said, trying to tame her frazzled hair. "What has gotten into you? You're not one to use your powers against your fellow Crystal Gems." 

"It doesn't matter." Steven sighed. "I just got sick of them pushing me around. Pearl knows why I don't want to be around Garnet, but she makes me do it anyway! It's about time I start making my own decisions." 

The pair started looking around the base, looking for a way to access the information they needed. 

"If you don't mind me asking..." Peridot said, feeling around the floor. "What is your problem with the permafusion? I can understand why you wouldn't want to be in the same room as her, I know I certainly wouldn't want to be, but your discomfort seems a bit more... intense." 

"She's a fusion- something which I didn't even find out about until recently." He replied bluntly, a seething hatred behind his usually calm voice. "And I. Hate. Fusion." 

"I'm not exactly fond of it myself, but why would you-"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's just find the coordinates."

Steven tried to take a step, but immediately found his sense of balance disappearing. His weight was in complete disproportion, and he was floating in the air before he could figure out what was happening. 

"Woah! Uh- nope!" 

His wings sprouted from his back, causing him to hover in the air, this time within his control. 

"I forgot about the difference in gravity... hey Peri, how come you're not floating about?" 

"I'm a gem." She stated matter-of-factly. "A species designed to conquer other worlds. My physical form adjusts automatically to the gravity of any planetoid." 

Steven hummed in acknowledgement before flying around the room to investigate. The darkness began to irritate him, so he pulled his shirt down, using his glowing gemstone as an impromptu flashlight. Peridot did the same. 

His ray of light landed on the mural of a person he didn't recognise. He flagged it up to Peridot, who immediately gasped. 

"Oh my stars! Steven! That's Pink Diamond!" She squealed excitedly. "Wait, if she's here, then surely..." Her head whipped around as she searched, before her eyes landed on another mural. She grabbed Steven's foot, dragging him over to another mural, depicting another gem he didn't recognise. This one was coloured in yellow. 

"There she is!" Peridot grinned wildly. "Behold- Yellow Diamond! Isn't she magnificent?!" 

"I'm floored." He replied sarcastically. 

"Are you joking? How can you not be more excited?! The Diamonds are the gem matriarchs; together they make up the Diamond Authority that governs Homeworld and all the outlying colonies! We live to serve them!" 

Steven raised a brow. 

"Well, we were made to serve them, even though some of us... don't. Anymore." She corrected herself. 

"We're getting off track. Where are we supposed to find the coordinates?" 

Peridot ran over to the spot on the floor she was inspecting earlier, feeling around once more. 

"The stone here is different... so if I press this down..." She pushed down the stone, causing it to illuminate beneath her fingertips. 

Pillars of rock shot up from the ground, creating a staircase that spiralled around the circular room. Peridot hopped up each step as Steven simply flew up and through the doorway. They entered a room that contained nothing more than a strange orb in it, but seeing it was nothing, continued to the next. 

The next room they entered was almost like a penthouse; the ceiling was nothing but a skylight in the shape of a dome around them, revealing not only the uncanny surface of the moon below them, but the infinite black star-lit sky above them. In the middle of the room was what they had been searching for: the control centre. 

Peridot began to fiddle with the buttons, becoming increasingly frustrated as nothing seemed to turn the unit on. Steven sat in the abnormally large chair behind her, wings retreating into his back. He placed his hand on what looked like a pad on the chair's armrest, looking surprised when it began to glow blue beneath his fingertips. 

The unit turned on, causing Peridot to quickly whip her head around. 

"What the- you can't sit there!" She exclaimed. 

"Why not?" 

"That chair is only for the most elite gems! You can't go around sitting where an elite would sit!" Her hands gestured wildly as she spoke. "And how did you turn that on anyway?! Those are hand recognition pads- it'll only recognise the handprint of a high ranking gem- probably a Diamond!" 

"Well, my gemstone's a Lapis Lazuli, so that's pretty high-ranking, right?" 

"Hm... I suppose." Peridot glanced suspiciously at him before turning around and activating the large screen, swiftly searching through the different files. 

"Wow, this is an old system..." She mumbled to herself. 

"What's this thing?" Said Steven, picking up a diamond-shaped crystal from another gap in the armrest. Peridot snapped at him to put it back before turning her head back to the screen. 

"Aha! Here it is!" She said, the screen zooming in on a specific area on a map of the planet. 

"What a coincidence, it's really close to Delmarva. Drilling there shouldn't be a problem." Smiled Steven. 

"Looks like the Beta Kindergarten in Facet Nine." Said Peridot. "Relative to the barn, it's roughly two thousand units down. All we need to do is feed this data to the drill, and we should be all set." 

"Perfect. Let's go." 

Summoning his wings, Steven hopped off the chair and flew out through the doorway, not bothering to wait for Peridot. 

She was left alone for only a moment. 

When she rejoined Steven downstairs and climbed onto Lion, Steven couldn't help but notice a familiar diamond-shaped device hidden behind her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a review, reading your comments always make my day! I love hearing your theories about future events and your opinions on the different characters, so if you have any thoughts, be sure to leave a comment. :)


	30. Message Recieved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven discovers Peridot's lie.   
> However, it's not the only thing he discovers when he accidentally triggers a terrifying new power.
> 
> Meanwhile, Garnet falls apart.

"This has Steven written all over it." Sighed Amethyst, eyeing the wall of ice in the middle of the living room. 

"I suggested we wait for both of you to get here, and he had a tantrum and left without us." Huffed Pearl, becoming irritated just by looking at the frosty structure. Garnet just stared at it, a stony expression on her face. 

"I don't know what's going on with him! He was fine until I mentioned- oh." Pearl interrupted herself, glancing at Garnet sheepishly. She looked back, noticing the icy structure had began to melt; she couldn't help but suppress the urge to grab a mop. 

"I'll talk to Steven when he gets back." Garnet spoke finally. 

Amethyst looked sceptical. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" She said. "What if we overwhelm him or something and he runs off again?" 

"It's a possibility." Garnet sighed, adjusting her visor. "But there's also a possibility that he listens and we move past this. He can't keep up this grudge against me forever- fusion is a part of who I am, and it's a part of who he is, whether he likes it or not." 

"But, Garnet!" Protested Amethyst. "He's always been afraid of people taking advantage of him when fusing because of his power, and he was right! He spent an unbearable amount of time fused with Jasper. The emotional and physical strain of that type of fusion... I can't imagine it." She took a breath, feeling her hands begin to tremble. "He's still recovering, so we can't get angry at him when he does things like this- he probably feels alone, and-and..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say next. 

Garnet's arms wrapped around herself, almost as if she were holding herself together, fingers digging tensely into her arms. 

"Garnet? Are you alright?" Pearl tried to step forward, but quickly backtracked when she heard Garnet muttering inaudibly. 

Spooked, the two gems stepped away from her, visible concern on their faces. 

"I don't feel like forgiving Steven!" Garnet suddenly cried out, teeth grit together. "There's nothing to forgive, he did nothing- no!" 

A bright flash of light, and two smaller gems tumbled to the ground. 

"We must move past this, Ruby." Sapphire spoke, calm and collected as ever. 

"Are you kidding?!" Ruby snarled, scrambling to stand up, hands bunching to fists at her sides. "We spend years teaching him about how fusion is about love and understanding, then he goes and fuses with the enemy, and for what?! To make some sort of self-righteous hero sacrifice?! And then- he has the audacity to be mad at us for being a fusion?! How are you not furious at him?!" 

"Ruby, Sapphire!" Pearl and Amethyst exclaimed, but were ultimately ignored as the two smaller gems continued to argue. 

"You're choosing to take it personally." Sapphire deadpanned. 

"It's fusion, Sapphire! What is more personal than fusion?!" 

"The sooner you get over this, the sooner we can help Steven get over the traumatic experience he went through. This is not about us, and this is not about you." 

"YOU ARE NOT AS ABOVE THIS AS YOU THINK YOU ARE!" Ruby gripped her hair, tugging at it relentlessly in anger. "Of all people, I thought you would be on my side in this! Steven, the sweet little boy who used to sing us songs on his ukelele, trapped another gem in an abusive fusion, then gets mad at us just for existing!" 

"Maybe you two should take a break..." Pearl said, placing a hand on Sapphire's shoulder. "Amethyst, why don't you take Ruby somewhere quiet? I'll stay here with Sapphire." 

Amethyst nodded, taking hold of Ruby's wrist. Ruby huffed, but went with her anyway. 

Pearl and Sapphire watched as they warped away. 

Steven tossed Lion a lion licker as he and Peridot walked down the hill to the barn. He couldn't help but notice how Peridot was insistent on walking behind him. 

She was hiding something; the diamond-shaped thing. 

But why? 

"Hey Peridot." 

Her head snapped up, abruptly stopping as Steven stopped walking. 

"I need to talk to you." He said lowly. They reached the barn, and Steven hopped into the drivers seat of the truck parked outside. Peridot hesitantly followed him, slipping into the passenger seat. 

"Why are we in this old vehicle?" She asked. 

"I wanted to ask you..." His eyes drifted down to her arm, still firmly behind her back. "...about the Diamonds." 

"Oh!" Her expression brightened. "I don't know what the others have told you, but there's a reason they're in charge." 

"What's that." 

"They're objectively better than us! Every gem has their strengths and weaknesses, but not them! They're absolutely totally completely flawless beings! Especially MY Diamond- Yellow Diamond! The most perfect, the most reasonable, rational, efficient decider to exist in the universe!" 

"You're really loyal to her, aren't you?" 

"How could I not be? We might have our little truce, but I'll never forsake the gem I was made for!" Peridot's hand had clenched into a fist over her chest as she looked up to the roof, a look of admiration and awe on her face at the memory of her Diamond. 

"That's good!" Steven faked enthusiasm. "Because she's right behind you!" 

Peridot, gullible as ever, turned around, gasping loudly as she felt the item she previously hid being snatched from her grasp. She whipped her head back around, seeing Steven press the button below the windshield before hopping out the car and slamming the door shut, leaving her trapped inside. 

"No!" Peridot yelped, desperately trying to pull the door open. 

"Save it, Peridot! The door can only be opened from the outside."

"How could you do this to me?! The great and lovable Peridot!" She squealed, slapping a small hand against the glass window. "I thought we were finally friends like you wanted!" 

"I saw you sneak this off the moonbase while my back was turned!" He held up the item, causing her to frown. "What is it? Tell me!" 

"Okay, okay! Alright, look... I have a plan. Allow me to explain. It's a... communicator. Made for the express purpose of contacting the Diamonds back on Homeworld." 

"You're still trying to contact Homeworld?!" Snapped Steven, a cold sensation crawling through his body. 

"Yes, of course! I've figured it out- you simple clods keep trying to protect the Earth, but you can't do anything right! I let myself get carried away too; laughing, singing, building our little machine!" She chuckled. "But don't you see...? None of that matters! All that matters is that I can be of use to Yellow Diamond! This planet can be of use to Yellow Diamond!" 

"Are you kidding me?! The Diamonds wanted to hollow the planet out, and now they're trying to blow it up with the cluster!" Steven's grip on the communicator tightened. "Argh! Why do I keep sticking my neck out for you?! You're never gonna be on our side!" 

He paused, eyes falling on the communicator in his hand. 

"You lied to me..." He snarled. "Ha! Of course! Why would I have thought any differently?! Keep blindly trusting people left and right and of course it's gonna come back to bite me in the ass! Garnet, Connie... and now you!" 

Peridot shuffled back in her seat, her scowl deepening. 

"So, thank you, Peridot!" Steven continued, barking out a forced laugh. "You've really opened my eyes- but don't you worry!" 

He grit his teeth, his expression turning dark. 

"Nobody is ever going to lie to me again..." 

Ruby stomped her foot through one of the abnormally large strawberries, listening to it squelch under her foot. Amethyst winced slightly. 

"Ruby, just talk to me! I'm sure we can figure something out if you just calm down." Amethyst sighed, running a hand through her wild hair. 

"I just- I don't understand Sapphire at all! Not that long ago, she completely agreed with me! She was just as mad at Steven as I was! But then, something changed, and we fell apart. And I still can't figure out what!" Ruby stomped on the strawberry over and over, until it was nothing more than a demolished puddle of red goo. 

"Okay, maybe taking you to the strawberry fields wasn't such a good idea..." Amethyst muttered under her breath. "Look, you'd easily find out if you just calmed down and talked to her. Then, you need to talk to Steven, because you two are family and need to sort this out." 

Ruby sighed at Amethyst's words. 

"It just... makes me so angry when I saw that I was the only one affected by this. Steven hurt both of us, not just me, and yet Sapphire doesn't even care!" 

"Go talk to her, Ruby." 

Ruby and Amethyst stepped off the warp pad, Ruby looking sheepish as she spotted Sapphire and Pearl sat on the couch. 

"We need to talk." She said firmly. Sapphire nodded, standing up. 

Amethyst beckoned Pearl over, motioning to the temple in an attempt to give the smaller gems some privacy. The pair disappeared into their respective rooms, and Ruby took her place beside Sapphire. 

"I want to know... why you're not mad at Steven anymore. I know you were- we were fused, I could feel it. What changed?" Ruby spoke lowly, taking Sapphire's hand into her own. 

"Do you remember when Steven was doing the dishes a couple days ago?" 

Her words caused Ruby to do a double-take. How on Earth was that relevant? Confusion aside, she nodded at her to continue.

"He left for a moment to use the bathroom, and when we decided to help him by putting the plates away, didn't you notice something about the water?" 

Ruby paused for a moment, before realisation dawned on her face. 

"It was boiling." She whispered. 

"And when he gets out the shower, don't you notice his skin? It's red, like it's been burnt. I checked the bathroom while you were with Amethyst, and I was right- the water's settings were at maximum temperature." Sapphire's voice trembled on the last note. "He's suffering, Ruby, I know it. That month he spent trapped under the ocean... he didn't do it to hurt us. He did it to protect us. And while doing something like that was reckless and irresponsible, he had our safety at heart... and now he's paying the price for it.

When he found out Garnet was a fusion, he was hurt... badly hurt. I saw millions of possibilities after that, but him fusing with Jasper was never one of them... and now, I'm struggling to keep up with him. I know you see it too, when we're fused. We need to make things right because he needs our support now, more than ever." 

Steven slammed the barn door shut, blocking out Peridot's infuriated shouting. His mind was reeling; trusting someone had blew up in his face. Again. Time and time again everyone around him had proven that they couldn't be trusted. 

His eyes drifted back down to the communicator in his hand. 

It would be so easy to just... shatter it. Place it on the ground and impale it with a shard of ice. Who would stop him? 

His grip tightened around the object, knuckles turning white. 

Anger bubbled inside him. His jaw clenched almost painfully, his face contorting into a furious scowl. How dare she... how dare she?! After everything they'd been through, this is the thanks he got?! 

Didn't their time together mean ANYTHING?! 

With a scream of agony, he reeled his arm back, throwing the communicator as far away as he could. An anguished sob escaped him as he crumpled to the ground, curling in on himself as he wept. 

He quickly found himself pummeling the dirt, feeling the grass disintegrate under his fist as he spat incoherent curses under his breath, tears rolling down his cheeks. His fists punched the ground over and over, months of pent up frustration and pain exerting into the dirt with every strike. A familiar moisture formed on his knuckles, and he quickly noticed his split skin.

Anger drained from his body, quickly being replaced by an unexpected exhaustion.

Reluctantly, he pressed a kiss to his knuckles, watching as his flesh knit itself back together. A tear rolled off of his cheek and onto the damaged grass. A soft blue glow enveloped the dirt, and in an instant dozens of new blades of grass emerged from the devastation, along with one single bluebell. 

"Stupid healing powers..." He muttered to himself. With shaky fingers, he hastily wiped his tears off of his cheeks, noticing how his lip still trembled and the painful lump in his throat was yet to go away. 

Slowly, Steven got back on his feet, a familiar tiredness sweeping through him. He just wanted to go home at this point. Nothing felt worth the effort anymore. He decided he'd sort things out with Garnet and Pearl once he got some sleep. 

It's not like Peridot could go anywhere, right? 

A loud crash snapped him out of his stupor. A cloud of dust flew into the air, splinters and debris shooting in all directions. Steven cried out and covered his face, but his fear was replaced with anger when he heard the screeching of tires. 

"What the fuck?!" He exclaimed, watching as Peridot half-heartedly steered the truck through the hole in the barn's wall, quickly accelerating in the direction he had thrown the communicator. 

"Way to jinx it, Universe." He growled to himself as his wings unfurled from his back.

Peridot glanced in the rear view mirror for just a second, but what she saw caused a chill to run through her. 

Steven wasn't exactly scary; yes, his powers could be intimidating at times at large-scale volumes, but he was always... graceful. She usually associated Steven with the cliche of beauty and elegance- much like a Pearl, considering his lithe structure and mesmerising wings. 

But the sight she caught behind her contradicted everything. 

Gone were his comforting baby blue eyes, instead replaced with a glare so dark and icy Peridot didn't recognise it. Gone were the rounded friendly shapes of water that made up his wings, instead replaced with sharp and angular shapes, much larger and much more menacing than she had ever seen them. Gone was any kinship he previously had with her. 

He looked... predatory. 

A terror of him instilled inside her, causing her to smash her foot down on the gas pedal, the old vehicle surging forward with an obnoxious rumble of its engine. 

A small, glistening object on the ground caught her eye, causing to quickly steer to the side and brake suddenly, the car coming to a stop with an ear-splitting screech. She scrambled from the car and began to sprint over to the communicator, but quickly halted when Steven landed on the other side of the object, only a couple metres away. 

She squeaked in fear. She was only a powerless Peridot; she had no chance against a Lapis Lazuli. Comforted only by the obvious lack of water for him to use, Peridot attempted to walk forward, but faltered for a moment. Frustrated, she scowled at him. 

"Why are you so confident?!" She shouted to him, furious confusion flooding through her. Steven's face remained the same. "There's no water around here- you're powerless!" 

"I considered you smarter, Peridot..." He spoke lowly, a quiet smile suddenly forming on his face. "There's water in more places you would expect." 

Despite his ominous words, Peridot had trouble figuring out what he meant until she looked down. 

The grass, the flowers... all the vegetation around her suddenly began to decay. 

Before she could react, spikes of ice shot up from the ground, trapping her in a makeshift cage. Ice... from the water he ripped from the plants. 

Her small hands gripped the frosty bars that kept her prisoner, panic rising inside her as Steven simply walked over to the communicator and picked it up. 

"I guess healing isn't all I can do." Steven retorted, tossing the object from one hand to the other, Peridot wincing each time it left his hand. "Guess you're lucky you didn't catch me on a humid night." 

"How did you even know to do that? Of all the time I've known you, you've never thought of using plants- or air?" Peridot hoped he didn't realise she was stalling; she just needed to keep him occupied for enough time while she figured out a way to escape. 

"Just some trick I learned from this mirror I found in Amethyst's room. Apparently it's got like infinite gem knowledge...?" He paused, shaking his head. "That doesn't matter. I'm getting the gems, and we're gonna figure out what to do with you." 

Steven turned and spread his wings, ready to fly back to the temple, when Peridot suddenly called out to him. 

"What?!" He snapped, rolling his eyes in exasperation. 

"I didn't mean to hurt you!" Peridot gripped the icy bars harder, excitement surging through her as she felt them begin to melt. She just needed to stall long enough for the ice to melt just enough for her to break it. 

Steven didn't turn around. His wings only drooped in sadness, a hand reaching up to cover his face. 

"You didn't?" He whispered. For a moment, he seemed to believe her, before his face hardened once more. "Then you shouldn't have lied to me." 

"I had no choice! You know how that is- I was just doing what I thought was right!" 

Steven froze. His fist clenched at his side. 

"No, that's not fair!" He suddenly whipped around, a scowl predominant on his face. "You can't just justify what you did because you thought it was the right thing to do! You're putting everyone at risk by acting so reckless and-!" 

He suddenly stopped, realisation dawning on his face. 

"What?" Asked Peridot, looking sceptical. 

Before Steven could reply, a loud cracking sound was heard. He looked up, only to see the small gem lunging towards him, a gaping hole in his frosty prison. 

Peridot tackled him to the ground, wrestling him for the object in his hand. Steven didn't hesitate to fight back, furiouslykeeping the communicator out of her reach. 

"Give it to me!" She growled, tugging at his arm as he held it above his head, trying to pry her off of him with his free arm. 

"I trusted you!" Steven cried. "I spent all that time bonding and hoping and caring about you!" 

"You don't get it either!" She replied with a strain in her voice. "This is your whole problem! Your emotions rule out reason!" 

On that final note, Peridot sprung forward, finally snatching the communicator from his grip. She rolled only a few metres away, hurrying to activate it from her place on the grass. Steven watched, desperation building inside him and tears collecting in his eyes. 

"STOP!" 

His scream resonated- and with it, an explosion from his gemstone. The air around them suddenly became blue shifted, and with it the same grief Steven felt. Tears rolled down his cheeks. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Peridot in the same state as him. She was crumpled to the ground, fat tears spilling from her eyes and onto the floor. 

The communicator fell from her loose grip, and it seemed like she barely even noticed. Steven was too spooked by the situation to even care. 

He looked down at his hands, quickly noticing the ethereal glow of his gem and the low humming sound it was making. This blue shift... was it coming from his gemstone? 

"Agh... make it stop!" Sobbed Peridot. "What's happening?!" 

Steven gasped, his desperation being outweighed by his confusion. 

And just like that, the blue dissipated, the aura retreating back into his gem. 

Suddenly in control of her own body again, Peridot snatched the communicator, not wasting a second and activating it. Seeing this, Steven shot to his feet and hid behind the truck, watery wings disappearing into his back. He poked his head over the top, watching as the communicator floated into the air, a large diamond-shaped holographic screen forming in front of Peridot as she laughed euphorically. 

After a few moments of static, a figure appeared on the screen. 

Steven's eyes widened at the sight of something that looked so familiar and yet so different. 

"This is the Yellow Diamond control room." The Pearl spoke snarkily. "Who authorised you to make this call?" 

"Noone.." Peridot said sheepishly. "But it's an emergency!" 

"That's no excuse to use the direct Diamond communication channel!"

"Pearl?" This time, it was a voice Steven didn't recognise. A voice of authority, power, and... irritation. "Why is there someone on the Diamond line?" 

"I don't know! I was just about to tell her that-" 

"I'll take it from here..." 

A large, gloved hand picked up the communicator screen, and suddenly it showed one of the people Steven feared the most... Yellow Diamond. 

Her size matched her ego; tall, powerful, and terrifyingly beautiful. She seemed mostly uninterested by Peridot, instead annoyed by her presence. 

"My Diamond!" Peridot barked, standing straight and saluting by twisting her arms to form the Diamond insignia. "Peridot- Facet 2F5L, Cut 5XG. I'm sorry to contact you this way, but all other forms of communication have been destroyed-" 

"You're behind schedule on your mission to... How is the Earth?" She finally turned her head, revealing sharp yellow eyes and uncanny diamond-shaped pupils. 

"It's.. full of life." 

"Organic life." Yellow Diamond rolled her eyes. "And where is the Jasper I assigned you?"

Steven's heart leaped into his throat. 

"And why aren't you calling from your ship?" Yellow continued. 

"The ship was destroyed." Replied Peridot. 

"By whom?" 

"It was destroyed by..." Her eyes drifted over to Steven, their gaze meeting for one fleeting moment. "No-one! There was... an accident. While we were landing." 

Yellow shot Peridot a deadpan look of disappointment before turning back around. 

"I'll inform your manager of your incompetence." 

At the corner of the screen, the yellow Pearl stared at Peridot smugly, a cocky grin on her face. 

"And what is the status of the cluster?" 

"The cluster... will emerge shortly." Peridot pushed down the feeling of reluctance. 

"Good. We'll finally get some use out of that miserable planet." Yellow Diamond snarled, an air of arrogance to her tone. "Thank you for your report, Peridot. There'll be a ship headed to your location to take you to your next assignment." 

"Wait! I wouldn't have called just to waste your time with a report."

"You already have." 

"No, I mean... the reason I called. The real reason. I believe we should terminate the cluster!" 

Yellow Diamond raised a brow in question. 

"The organic ecosystem created resources unique to this world. We can't sacrifice all that potential for just one geoweapon! I'd like to tell you some plans I came up with to utilise the planet without disrupting the local-" 

"I've heard enough!" Yellow interrupted Peridot, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't care about potential resources. I want my cluster- and I want that planet to die. Just make that happen." 

"No!" Yelled Peridot, causing Steven's eyes to widen. The yellow Pearl looked aghast at Peridot's outburst as Yellow stood from her seat, holding the communicator closer to her face. 

"Are you questioning my authority?" She said lowly, menacingly. 

"No, I'm- I'm questioning your objectivity, My Diamond." Peridot haphazardly saluted, sweat forming on her brow as she fumbled for words. 

"You... are out. Of. Line." 

"I just think-!" 

"I am not interested in the puny thoughts of a Peridot!" Yellow Diamond snapped, her voice booming through the communicator. 

"But-!" 

"You have disrespected this channel, and my time with your presence, and you would do well to shut your mouth! You have failed at every stage of this mission, and your only chance to redeem yourself is to obey this simple order! You are to leave the cluster to grow, it will tear apart the Earth, and I will take immense satisfaction in erasing that hideous rock off my star maps!" 

"I won't do it!" Cried Peridot, her eyes clenched shut in fear. "I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!"

"What do YOU know about the Earth?!" 

"Apparently more than you, you CLOD!" 

Yellow Diamond's face constricted in anger, and Steven swore he could see a vein bulge from her forehead. Her eyes were wide and furious, the once strong and beautiful features twisting into something horrific. Peridot, seeing this, hurried to close the line. 

The communicator fell to the ground, and Peridot stared at it, breathing heavily. 

"That was AMAZING!" Exclaimed Steven, vaulting over the truck and rushing over to Peridot, a large grin on his face. 

"I can't believe I just did that..." She mumbled to herself, her eyes wide and unblinking from shock. "Can you take this?" She said, handing Steven the communicator. 

"Why?"

"Because it can be remotely detonated." 

With a squeak of fear, Steven threw it away, watching as it exploded midair. 

"I thought I could reason with her!" Wailed Peridot, dropping to the ground and curling up in the fetal position. 

"Yeah, you really made her mad." Steven snorted, sitting down beside her. "You know what this means, right?" 

"I'm a traitor to my Homeworld..." 

"Well, yeah, but now you're officially a Crystal Gem." He placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, causing her to sigh. She sat up, regarding Steven suspiciously. 

"That still begs the question; what in the stars was that thing you did earlier?!" 

"I have no idea. That has never happened before, and honestly I'm as spooked as you are." 

"Do Lapis Lazulis... usually do that? With the blue aura-thingy?" Peridot frowned as she spoke, confusion etched on her face. 

"I don't think so... maybe I'll ask the mirror when I get home." 

Despite being left with so many questions, one thing was certain. 

His mother was definitely hiding something from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I haven't had much time with online school and everything. This is pretty rushed, so please tell me if you spot any spelling errors. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please leave a review, I'd love to hear your theories after this chapter!


	31. Mirror Gem (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One thousand years... a long time to be trapped in a mirror.   
> But when your saviour is badly injured, returning home is somehow the last thing on your mind.

Steven woke slowly.

Nulled senses returned to him one by one; every reacquisition accompanied with a profound sense of familiarity and something resembling anticipation. There was an unpleasant coppery taste on his tongue, a similar smell mixed with the aroma of salty sea air. Despite being snuffed out by a distant painful ringing in his ears, he could hear the sound of waves gently lapping the shore, along with a repeating cracking noise in the back of his mind.

Pain, though, that was working just fine.

Working through the incessant pounding in his head, he attempted to sit up, eyes straining to open. Light flooded his vision, despite it being night. His ribs protested with each laboured breath he took along with the repetitive thumping of his heart.

Vision finally unblurring, he looked around.

He was on... a beach.

Straining his neck, Steven glanced behind him, noticing a temple a close distance away. A gasp escaped him when he spotted a figure in the corner of his eye, seemingly unconscious.

It looked like a girl. One he didn't recognise.

Obscured by the lack of light, he could just about make out her petite and skinny body, accented by a flowing summer dress and short dark hair. She had her back to him, and glimmering in the soft glow of the moon, he spotted what could be nothing other than a gemstone in her back.

A gemstone that looked painfully familiar to his own, but ever so slightly different.

He... couldn't remember how he got there. He couldn't remember anything at all. Vague recollections of his name and identity flashed through his mind, and he could remember mentions of his powers, his home... his family.

Right- his family!

... Who were they, again?

Was the girl near him his family?

Slowly, he crawled over, cautiously nudging her arm. No response. He nudged a little harder, still wary to be gentle with her in her unconscious state. This time, she stirred.

Her eyes opened, and he was met with a dark blue gaze.

"It's you!" She gasped, her voice gentle and airy. "You freed me, and I- oh stars!"

"I... I freed you?" He whispered sceptically, frowning in an attempt to uncover the memory. It came up short.

"Yes, I was trapped in that mirror for so long... you actually talked to me, you helped me!" Her face was filled with adoration and gratitude when she looked at him. "It's Steven, right?"

"I think so..." He replied, rubbing his forehead.

"I'm Lapis. Lapis Lazuli."

He tried to smile, but the taste of blood in his mouth caused him to refrain. A gasp escaped her when their eyes met.

"My goodness, your eyes! What happened, are you okay?" Lapis fumbled with her words, placing a worried hand on Steven's cheek.

"I don't feel so good... I can't remember anything, and my head really hurts." He whispered. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

"Steven, your pupils... they're gone."

Steven faltered, his stomach sinking.

"You were fine earlier... here, let me check your gem." Lapis tugged down his collar, her eyes widening at the clear sight of a large hairline crack travelling from the top right corner to the centre of his gem. "It's just as I thought... wow that's a bad crack."

"My... gem is cracked?"

"That explains your eyes, and why you can't remember anything..." She stood up, legs trembling for a moment before she reached a hand down to help Steven up.

"What do we-"

"STEVEN!"

A voice neither of them recognised suddenly called out from behind them, and the pair whipped around, being met with three unfamiliar gems. The tall pale one had been the one to call his name.

"Steven, get away from her, she's-!"

Suddenly, he was met by a flood of memories, the overload of information causing him to cry out in pain, gripping his skull in reflex. He felt Lapis place a hand on his shoulder, and he finally looked up. 

("Stop... what are you doing?!"

"Give us the mirror!"

"I said- no, wait!"

Then, an agonised scream and a sickening crack.)

"It was her..." He mumbled. "I remember... the pale one cracked my gem. I remember her voice. There was... an argument. I don't know what happened next..."

Lapis frowned, looking up to glare at the three of them, bloodlust behind her eyes.

"I'm not surprised- they're Crystal Gems, they can't be trusted. Don't worry, Steven, I won't ever let them hurt you again." She spoke lowly through grit teeth.

"Get away from him!" Garnet shouted, summoning her gauntlets.

Unfazed, Lapis stood tall, stepping in front of a terrified-looking Steven protectively. Wordlessly, she stretched her arm out in front of her, gaze never leaving the three gems.

They began to look fearful when the wind picked up.

The ocean behind Lapis and Steven began to rise, slowly changing into the form of a hand. Sea foam outlined hypothetical muscles, an amalgamation of her power. A power fuelled by the need to protect the one person who listened to her... who saved her.

She wouldn't let those Crystal Gems touch him.

Over a thousand years trapped inside that mirror... and not one of them bothered to pull her out. They knew she was there, they had to. Until Steven got his hands on the mirror... he was the only one who recognised the voice of a person in pain, the voice of someone who begged to be rescued. Lapis had gotten to know him pretty well while she was still inside the mirror- she knew all about his gem, his heritage... that he wasn't a Lazuli, he only possessed the gemstone of one.

Steven saved her, and she would do her best to save him.

The watery hand crashed down onto Garnet, crushing her into the sand. Pearl and Amethyst rushed forward, weapons drawn, but a stray current of water shot out from the ocean, throwing them back further than where they had even began.

They were right where she wanted them...

She quickly turned to Steven, wings emerging from her back.

"Let's fly away- the won't be able to follow us!"

Steven only looked at her worriedly, empty eyes shining like glass.

"I... I can't!" His voice cracked in panic. "I think my gem being cracked affected my powers... I can't summon my wings."

Lapis glanced back at the Crystal Gems, frowning when she saw them getting back up and getting ready to attack again.

"Nevermind... I know another place they can't follow us." She said.

The ocean split apart like the Red Sea, watery walls reaching high into the air. She gestured for him to follow, and the pair ran into the open sea, waves crashing closed behind them like a twisted curtain call.

***

"They got away!" Amethyst shouted. "Why the fuck would Steven follow that random gem instead of us?!"

"He didn't recognise us, Amethyst..." Replied Pearl solemnly. "When I... when his gem cracked, it must have altered his memory."

"Well what are we supposed to do now?! Once again, it looks like we lost Steven to the ocean! There's just no winning with that guy- I don't even know how he got his hands on that stupid mirror!"

"Would you two stop arguing?!" Snapped Garnet. She removed her visor, pinching the bridge of her nose irritably. "We need to think of a plan to find them. That... Lazuli, she... she's powerful. Probably more powerful than Steven considering what we've seen, so we need to be careful, and we need to act fast."

There was a brief silence.

"This is weird, right?" Amethyst mumbled. "I mean- another Lapis Lazuli! We've never even heard of there being more, and after our Lazuli bit the big one... we never even thought that-!"

"That's enough, Amethyst." Pearl barked. "We've getting Steven back. Then, we're putting that Lazuli in a bubble. It's clear she's still with Homeworld. I'm not risking another Jasper situation." 

"None of us are." Nodded Garnet.

Amethyst grimaced, but ultimately agreed. She glanced towards the vast expanse of the ocean, a sick feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Nobody could've predicted this- not even Garnet... the derailing of the argument was unprecedented.

Steven had only just gotten back from his moon mission with Peridot, and was adamant to talk to Garnet. Ruby and Sapphire had only recently fused again after sorting out their differences, and Steven's apology had been a pleasant surprise.

She should have expected Garnet's harboured resentment when she wasn't immediate to reciprocate. Then, the mirror... then, Pearl...

Oh, stars, Pearl.

She had cracked Steven's gem. It was a freak accident, obviously, but nobody could've seen it coming- much less Steven himself. His scream of pain still resonated in her mind...

"All this over a stupid mirror..." Amethyst whispered to nobody in particular.

"That may be true, but that mirror gem is one of the most dangerous we've ever seen."

***

"So... what now?"

Lapis sighed, tucking her knees into her chest. The pair had made their way over to a nearby island- one with icy arrows littered around the beach and a sizeable crater near the shoreline. It was clear a battle had taken place there.

"I'm not sure... by now, I'd be halfway to Homeworld, but... I can't go back. Just before I was imprisoned in that mirror, the Diamonds bubbled every Lazuli and Lazurite. All because we looked similar as the leader of the rebellion. It was dumb, but... it doesn't matter right now. We have to find a way to fix your gem." She replied.

A pensive look took over Steven.

"There's a way, I know it... I feel like it's happened before, but... agh, I can't remember!" His hands flew up to pull at his hair in frustration. Lapis stared for a moment, before realisation dawned on her.

"Wait... earlier, with that Pearl... her voice kind of, like, triggered your memory, didn't it? You remembered how your gem got cracked. So, maybe, this is like a puzzle? Maybe if we find things to trigger your memory, you'll remember how to fix your gem!"

"That's... actually a pretty good theory. But how do we know where to start?"

Lapis smiled at him before turning away to look over the ocean, looking thoughtful.

Steven didn't look away from her face. Now, he couldn't help but notice that she felt unbearably familiar. Her light blue skin and short flowing hair took hold of something in his mind he couldn't quite shake. Suddenly, she snapped her finger, her face lighting up.

"I've got it!" She exclaimed. "There's got to be some clues in the Temple of Obsidian- where you found me."

Steven perked up at her idea, but then looked worried.

"Isn't that where the other gems are? The ones that wanted to hurt us?"

"It's a risk we're going to have to take." Lapis sighed.

She stood up and held her hand out for him to take. Steven offered a shy smile before reaching up to take it. He was swiftly pulled to his feet before a sharp pain stabbed him through the chest, causing a cry to escape him as he keeled over, Lapis catching him by the shoulders, calling his name in panic.

Hurriedly, she tugged down his collar, cringing at the sight of the crack worsening, branching off to another part of his gem. Steven's face screwed up in pain, his body trembling and his skin breaking out into a cold sweat.

"We don't have much time." Breathed Lapis. He nodded, forcing his eyes open. Elegant wings extended from her back, flapping experimentally as she turned around.

"Get on- I'll fly us back."

Swallowing, Steven nodded, climbing onto her back piggy-back style. They were the same height so it was a but of a struggle, but Lapis was determined. Thin arms hooked beneath his knees and she bent down, not hesitating to take off into the night sky.

***

Lapis flew overhead, scanning the beach down below thoroughly. Her mission was to get Steven's memory, therefore a solution to his cracked gem, as soon as possible. Without those Crystal Gems getting in the way.

Determined, single-minded, focused.

Steven, on the other hand, could not pry his eyes away from the sky. Cloudless and beautiful. An inky black canvas with swirls of mesmerising purples and blues. Millions upon billions of stars just beyond his reach. It was the prime of twilight, the crescent moon high and bright in the sky.

Hypnotised, dizzy, wonderfied.

He smiled to himself with an unfamiliar childlike wonder.

"Hey Lapis, have you ever been to the moon?" He murmured absent-mindedly, his pupiless eyes never leaving the endless sky above.

"Once. On an interplanetary mission we took a quick pit stop on Blue Diamond's moon base for a quick survey of Earth. I was supposed to terraform the lands, but... I never made it." Her voice dropped solemnly as they circled once more around the beach.

Steven glanced down, a sympathetic expression on his face.

"I get it... I keep getting these flashes of memories, and... most aren't that good. A lot of them always have this overwhelming feeling of being trapped... and water. There's always water." His voice dropped to a whisper at the end. Memories of rushing water... screaming... a crushing pressure... green? "What kind of life did I have that every tiny thing I somehow manage to remember is always so horrible? The memory is there but... just out my reach. Judging by what I know, I don't think I want to remember."

Lapis looked up at his pensive face. She decided not to say anything.

Seeing the beach was empty, the pair landed, Steven quickly sliding off Lapis' back and onto the beach. They were still cautious as they approached the beach house, Lapis keeping her wings bared threateningly. She held his hand as they walked into the house, her grip firm and grounding.

"Anything coming back to you?"

Steven shook his head.

Lapis released his hand, letting him venture up the stairs into a tiny loft, which he deduced was his bedroom. He picked up a game controller, his gaze landing on the black screen of the television.

For the first time, he saw his reflection.

Was he always this... skinny? It didn't look healthy. Oh stars, he was pale. When was the last time he'd seen some sun? He ran a hand through his thick black curls, noticing how they tended to flop over into his eyes. Maybe a haircut would do him some good too. He ignored the uncanny emptiness of his eyes (though he couldn't help but wonder what colour his eyes used to be).

His blank gaze drifted down to his chest, where his broken gemstone lay. A lean finger brushed over its surface, feeling its cold shiny exterior. He avoided the crack, letting his hand fall to his side with a sigh.

Steven turned around, ready to go back down the stairs, when he froze. There, on the bedside table. Pictures... Pictures! Those had to have some sort of clue to who he used to be.

He rushed over to them, picking up the first one he could find.

It was him. And an older man. His father, perhaps? Wow, he looked so much better here! He wasn't so thin, his skin tone seemed healthy, and he was even smiling! Okay, so he had blue eyes- what a pretty colour!

But did this trigger any memories? Not one.

"Any luck?" He called out to Lapis.

"Not really..." She replied. "What about you?"

"Nope." A thought occurred to him. "What if just looking at things isn't enough? The Pearl's voice made me remember how my gem got cracked, so maybe if we just talk to those gems, my memories will come back and I'll remember how to fix my gem?"

Lapis immediately looked startled.

"No way! Those Crystal Gems are dangerous- they kept me trapped for a thousand years, they cracked your gem! Who knows what other horrible things they've done! We can't risk it. We'll find a way to fix your gem ourselves."

Steven exhaled, about to protest, but just decided to agree. She did make a good point.

Suddenly, a snap.

Then, the thudding of feet against wood.

Upon hearing this, Lapis sprung into action. She sprung forward, hopping into the loft and standing in front of Steven protectively. Steven peeked over from behind her shoulder, taking her hand into his own fearfully.

A subtle blue blush appeared on her cheeks, and she glanced at him with a quiet, comforting smile. Her gaze said everything it needed to; he was safe with her. She wouldn't let anyone harm him.

The source of the sound was quickly revealed when a large mass of blue came barrelling in through the front door. It skidded to a stop, revealing a fierce, growling blue lion. Canines bared, it snarled at Lapis, not an ounce of recognition in its gaze.

Once again, Lapis showed no fear.

The water pipes in the kitchen burst, a sudden flurry of water spurting from the broken pipes, flooding the wooden floor. The water shot forward, wrapping around Lion as he mewled and cried, the sounds causing a lump to form in Steven's throat.

Then, time seemed to slow down as the water began to transform. Its shape faltered for no more than a moment, before it became terrifyingly clear.

Chains.

Watery shackles wrapped around Lion's extremities, pinning him to the ground.

Something sparked in Steven's mind. Something dark, something unspoken.

Crying in pain from the overwhelming rush of memories, Steven bucked forward, falling to his knees. His hands were set in his hair, knuckles turning white as he gripped his scalp. Groans of agony escaped him as everything- everything!- came flooding back, his brain going into overdrive.

From the moment he took Jasper's hand, to the moment Alexandrite's arrow pierced their stomach, and he was freed.

Apart from that, still empty.

Tears fell from his glassy eyes as sobs began to shake his body, throat-ripping cries of grief and fear escaping him, no matter how hard he tried to suppress them.

Two lithe hands imprinted his shoulders, a voice shouting, desperately trying to get him to snap out of it.

"Steven- what's happening, what's wrong?!"

He curled in on himself, blocking everything out. He just wanted it to stop. He didn't like this! Stop it, STOP IT!

"I didn't want to hurt anyone!" He sobbed. "But I hurt her, I hurt her! Oh I hurt her so bad...!"

"What?! Hurt who?"

"JASPER!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit this took forever... 
> 
> PLEASE REVIEW THIS CHAPTER TOOK MOST OF MY SANITY AND I NEED VALIDATION
> 
> (sorry this took so long, part 2 should be out within the next few days!)


	32. Mirror Gem (Part 2)

Steven continued to scream, begging and crying to whatever unknown force to just make it stop. He didn't want to remember anymore! Make it go away- just make the memories go away! 

Of course, they didn't go away. 

In actuality, they only seemed to get worse the more he remembered. The sensation of being permanently joined to someone he hated with every fibre of his being, a person who made his blood boil at the very mention of their name, a person who only used him for his power. The sensation of an infinite, unbridled rage that coursed through him, and through them as they fused. 

He was so... angry. All the time. Every moment he was Malachite... anger was there. Every second of every minute of every hour. 

The sensation of cold (it was SO cold), algid water that kept him confined to the dark abyss of the bottom of the ocean for what felt like a perilful, but meaningless eternity. The sensation of frosty chains rendering his wrists raw and his screams rendering his throat raw. 

Not to mention the constant feeling of hopelessness. Because he knew nobody was coming to save him. Nobody was ever going to save him from an existence of suffering, living as a big green monster. 

Just Steven and Jasper: alone together. Together alone. Together forever, forever together as Malachite. 

He didn't sleep, didn't eat... how could he? He relied on Malachite, not only to keep him alive, but to keep him sane. Because he knew Jasper wouldn't be able to hurt anyone for as long as she was hurting him. 

As long as they hurt each other. 

Of course, there was so much more. Steven could spend a literal eternity just thinking about every detail of the experience that was Malachite. It was endless.

However, it seemed Lapis was succeeding in snapping him out of it. 

Slowly, he managed to open his eyes. 

Still blank, still pupiless, still empty. 

Lapis had her hands on his face, her brows arched in worry and confusion. She was saying his name, but the ringing in Steven's ears hadn't ceased. 

His hysteric crying eventually reduced to sniffles and tiny hiccups, and he found himself in a tight embrace. Lapis shushed him and stroked his hair, a comfort he had never felt before in his life. A kind of tender care that only one person could give. His gaze drifted to the portrait hung above the door. 

A mother's comfort. 

Any resolve left him, and he threw his arms around Lapis, holding her as close as he could. He willed himself not to start crying again. 

"Lapis... I remembered something." He whispered. 

"Really? What's that?" 

"I had a mom. She was a Lapis Lazuli, just like you. But she's gone now." 

Lapis snorted softly, her body shaking with her gentle laughs. 

"Well I could've told you that. It doesn't really help us fix your gem, so I didn't bother." She said. 

"Does that make you, like, my aunt? Or my sister?" He pondered. 

"I don't know what those are." 

Despite himself, Steven laughed, a small chuckle that meant the world to Lapis. After pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head, she stood up, pulling him up with her. They looked over to Lion, who was still struggling against watery shackles. Steven grimaced.

"What do I do with your cat? If I let him go he could attack us again." Said Lapis. 

"I guess we don't really have a choice but to-" 

Snap! 

A familiar spear embedded itself in the wall behind Lapis, causing the duo to let out a surprised scream. Steven looked at the Crystal Gems, tears forming in his eyes. He looked back to Lapis, who only shot him a look of determination. 

"You Crystal Gems really are stupid, aren't you?!" Lapis spat. "I thought it'd be obvious by now that you three don't stand a chance against me!" The kitchen tap exploded, water bursting out at an incredible pressure, pressing the three gems into the ground. The glass windows cracked and splintered, causing Steven to wince. 

Lapis quickly took a hold of his hand, and the pair ran past them and out the now shattered front door just as the gems freed themselves of the water's hold. 

"Steven, come back! We can help you!" Amethyst cried out, sweeping her soaked purple hair from her eyes. 

"I'm sorry for what I did, it was an accident, I swear!" Pearl followed. "We can heal you! Please!" 

Steven looked back hesitantly. 

"Don't fall for it, Steven, they're lying!" Hissed Lapis, holding his hand just a little tighter. He looked between the two, feeling torn. Somehow, the choice felt obvious. 

"Maybe we can escape into town!" He turned to Lapis, his expression hardening. She nodded, then looked back at the gems with a cocky grin. 

"I know what'll keep them busy..." 

That's when the water that spilled onto the floor did something new. Something that Steven didn't recognise. 

It took the form of Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. 

Three indestructible water warriors. 

Steven watched in awe as the water duplicates created replicas of the gem's weapons. Wow, they were almost identical! 

"Steven, this is our chance! They'll be too busy fighting them to catch up to us- let's go!" Lapis tugged at his hand, and they quickly turned away, running from the sounds of the three gems struggling to fight their watery counterparts.

He turned his head and looked at Lapis' face, studying every feature. 

Who knew something so pretty could be so powerful. 

***

They didn't stop running for a while. 

Directionless and frantic, the pair found themselves in an unfamiliar street, rows of conjoined houses lined up along the long and empty road. They might not have known where they were going, but Steven couldn't handle running anymore. He was unbelievably tired, and envied Lapis for having better stamina. 

He looked around, feeling a sense of familiarity. When had he been here before?

Cursing his memory loss, the pair slowed to a walk, hands still holding tightly onto one another. 

"We're lost, aren't we?" Breathed Lapis. 

"Maybe... but I can't help feel like I've been here before." 

"Really?!" Her face lit up. "That's good! Maybe you'll remember something useful!" 

Steven's eyes drifted around, until his gaze fell on one house in particular. A grey front door, a black camaro parked in the driveway, ivy climbing up the drainpipe... he'd definitely been here before. But when? 

Lapis noticed him staring at that one particular house and shot him a look of confusion. 

"Does someone you know live there?" She asked. Steven ran a hand through his hair.

"I think so... it's unbearably familiar... I think that, um, whoever lives there meant something to me. They meant a lot to me." He whispered, gaze never leaving that grey door. 

"Do you think they'd help us?"

"Yeah..." 

Lapis exhaled, walking over to the door. Despite never being in a human neighbourhood before, she assumed they had similar customs back on Homeworld too. Knocking was universal, right?

Before she got a chance to knock, a cry of pain came from behind her. 

She rushed back over to Steven, panic rising within her as he fell to his knees, gripping pathetically at his gem. Nothing but a mess of pain and laboured breathing, occasional groans escaped him before it transitioned into a recurring whimper. 

It was torture seeing him like this, knowing there was little to nothing she could do to help. 

"What's happening- is it your gem?!" 

Weakly, he nodded. 

Lapis inspected his gemstone and her breath caught in her throat. It was getting worse. Much worse- she was surprised he was still conscious. 

"Hey, what's going- Steven?!" 

An unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out from behind the pair. 

Lapis turned around, seeing a human girl in the doorway she was previously going to knock on. She had dark skin and fluffy black hair pinned back into a messy updo. Her face was twisted in worry and surprise when she spotted Steven on the ground, but quickly changing to suspicion as she looked at Lapis. 

The girl ran over, placing a hand on Steven's shoulder.

"Steven, what happened? Who is this?" She exclaimed. 

"My name's Lapis Lazuli." Lapis introduced herself. 

"I'm Connie- wait, did you say Lapis?" 

Okay, so the girl's name was Connie. Lapis didn't particularly care- she didn't understand how a human of all things could help heal Steven. 

"Steven's gem is cracked, so he's completely lost his memory. We've managed to get him to remember a couple things by triggering his memories, so we're trying to get him to remember how to heal gems. He told me there's a way, but... we haven't been able to find it yet." She replied, ignoring Connie's question. 

Connie looked pensive for a moment, looking down at Steven's agonised form. He was completely unresponsive, she didn't think he even noticed she was there yet. His gem was cracked? This was unprecedented- what would even happen to a hybrid if their gem was shattered?

Well, she didn't particularly want to find out. 

"Steven's healed my eyes before, but he never told me how. I still haven't been able to figure it out. Maybe if we can get him to snap out of it, he'll see me and remember?" 

Lapis shrugged, brushing the curls from Steven's face. He sighed, leaning into her touch and pressing himself into her collarbone. 

Jealousy surged through Connie, but she swallowed her pride and cleared her throat awkwardly. 

"Steven... Steven, look at me." Lapis rubbed his shoulder. "Snap out of it! I know it hurts, trust me, I know, but you have to snap out of it. Connie's here- do you remember Connie?" 

Steven shook his head, his breathing finally evening out. 

"It hurts..." He mumbled, causing Connie's heart to clench. Slowly, he opened his eyes, jaw clenched in pain. 

Connie gasped. 

"What happened to his pupils?!" She yelped, Steven grimacing. 

"It's just a symptom of having a cracked gem. Usually his physical form would glitch and begin to fall apart, but since he's half human that doesn't seem to be a problem. He's also lost his memory and his powers." Lapis explained. Connie exhaled, placing her hand over Steven's. 

"Do you, um... do you remember me?" She spoke softly. It was difficult to tell if he was looking at her, considering his lack of irises, but she felt he was. 

Once again, he shook his head. Connie slumped in disappointment. 

Lapis stood up, helping Steven to his feet, Connie in tow. 

Steven stared at Connie intently, his heart beating just that little bit faster. He couldn't look away. He felt he knew her, somehow, despite not recognising her at all. Attached to her weren't memories, but more... feelings. 

Longing, joy, attraction... betrayal? 

Oh, he didn't like that. But gosh was she really was beautiful. 

"What are we supposed to do now?" Lapis said, sounding defeated. 

Steven's eyes drifted down, his gaze landing on a pair of glasses tucked into the front of Connie's shirt. 

Then, the memory came rushing back. 

A cry escaped him as he clutched his head, the feeling now all too familiar. 

It was him. Chained down by icy shackles, once again fighting against Jasper to keep control of their fusion. Then, there was Connie. There was an argument... then, a kiss. Before he even got to savour the moment, he was dragged back under the water. 

He healed her eyes... it was the kiss!

"We kissed..." Steven paused, coming to a realisation. "I have healing powers!" 

Lapis and Connie glanced at each other, smiles blossoming on their faces. 

"My spit and tears have healing properties!" He exclaimed. Lapis looked confused for a moment, but decided to stay silent for the time being. "But... my powers are gone because of my cracked gem. It won't work." 

"Seriously?!" Connie huffed. "You finally figure it out and it won't even work?" 

"Well there's no harm in trying." Lapis tried. 

"It doesn't matter- all we need to do is visit Lazuli's fountain!" 

"I don't have a fountain." 

"No, I mean my mom! She had a fountain filled with her healing tears. I'm also fairly sure it's supposed to be her grave, but I'm deciding to ignore that. We can warp there- I know where it is." Steven grinned elatedly, overjoyed that this nightmare was finally over. He began to walk away, but stopped when he heard Lapis say his name.

"Steven..." She whispered. "Lapis Lazulis don't have healing powers." 

"...What?" 

"Don't you think that if I had healing powers, I would've fixed your gem by now?" Lapis sighed. "I mean... I guess it's possible Era One Lazulis had healing powers... I'm Era Two, so I wouldn't know." 

Steven stared at her, before glancing back at Connie, who just shrugged. 

"Look, it doesn't matter. We can talk about it later. For now, let's just get you to that fountain." Lapis finished. 

***

Fortunately, the Crystal Gems weren't at the Temple when they arrived, and they were able to warp there no problem. 

However, it was fair to say Lapis Lazuli felt extremely uncomfortable walking around the gravesite of her namesake. Steven seemed to vaguely remember his way around the place, leading them through thick brambles and overgrown vegetation. Rogue bluebells blossomed as far as the eye could see, covering the walkway. 

Lapis had no grievances with stomping over them. 

Connie, on the other hand, was in awe. 

This place was mesmerising, looking almost as if it had come straight out of a fairy tale. Rays of sunshine broke through the overgrown brambles overhead, casting beautiful patterns on the ground like a mosaic. 

She fought back a smile at the sight of the bluebells (and what she recognised to be atropa belladonnas scattered around- this, for reasons she couldn't explain, left a sour taste in her mouth). 

But joy quickly turned to worry when she saw the state of Steven. He lagged behind her and Lapis, pupiless eyes downcast with deep, tired bags beneath them. She could've sworn he was limping too. 

She contemplated checking up on him, but hesitated. 

Would he even want to talk to her? They hadn't spoken in... wow, almost a month. He always dodged her calls and messages, and often even found excuses to not be home in case she stopped by. Connie understood why, of course, but... it hurt. A lot. Knowing he might never want to be friends again after what happened with Jeff. 

A sigh escaped her, and she looked away. 

Now wasn't the time- they'd discuss it once he was better and had his memory back. 

"We're here." Steven suddenly spoke. 

Before them was the healing fountain; a large pool with a large statue of Steven's mother at its centre, looking as elegant and beautiful as always. Her hands were held out angelically, her healing lacrimal essence cascading from the eyes carved in stone. Stray vines and belladonnas climbed around the statues, illuminated by rogue sun rays. 

"Okay, let's do this." Lapis took Steven's hand, leading him over to the edge of the pool. 

"How do I...?" Steven paused. "Do I like jump in, or...? This is weird." He hesitated, causing Lapis to snicker. 

Steven exhaled a laugh along with her, turning to face her. Heart in his throat, he pulled her into a tight embrace, squeezing her shoulders affectionately. Lapis responded in kind before they pulled away, soft smiles on each of their faces. The look in her eyes said everything it needed to. 

He knelt beside the pool, one hand cupping some of the healing fluid. Falteringly, he poured it over his cracked gemstone, and waited. 

For a couple moments, nothing happened. 

Then, a light burst from his gem. A blinding blue glow engulfed his body, and suddenly everything came rushing back. 

Every memory, every thought, every feeling. 

Not to mention the overwhelming rush of his power pulsing through his veins.

Watery wings extended from his back as the light disappeared. He stood up, elegant wings flapping as the familiar sensation came back to him. 

He turned around, mesmerising pupils back in their rightful place. 

"Thank you..." He breathed. 

"How do you feel?" 

"Honestly? Miserable." 

"Yup, he's back."


	33. Hey, Kids (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a corrupted gem finds its way into Connie's High School, Steven has no choice but to talk to her again. 
> 
> Oh, and keep every other student safe. That too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all i just- 
> 
> i recently discovered the user Selernia wrote stories and i was like ??? how did i not know this sooner?? they're really good too??????? homies, check out their stuff cuz DAMN

"Are you sure it's a good idea to get so close?!"

Amethyst watched as Steven gripped his bow harder, groaning loudly in irritation.

"I can't poof it if I don't get close to it you clown!" He snapped, furrowing his brow as he drew an arrow back. Amethyst frowned.

"I lost a stick, I think I know where it went..." She mumbled in reply, causing Steven to glance at her briefly. He just decided to ignore her.

With a soundly snap, the arrow was released, hurtling towards the slinker and embedding itself in one of its many black tentacles. It cried out in pain, but still didn't poof.

"Fantastic." Grumbled Steven, lowering his bow and took a few steps back towards Amethyst. "How did this thing escape the Temple anyway? We were super careful!"

The pair (much to Steven's dismay) currently found themselves fighting an annoyingly powerful corrupted gem unnervingly close to Ocean Town's High School.

Which, by fate's design, Connie, Elizabeth and Jeff just so happened to attend; a fact which made Steven incredibly uncomfortable. He only prayed the slinker (Amethyst nicknamed it) didn't get any closer to it.

"I don't know how it escaped! We must've left the door open or something!" Amethyst quickly dodged one of its tentacles. Much too close for comfort.

"The lack of water around here is really starting to get on my nerves!" He huffed. "I can only do so much with a pathetic arrow!"

"Can't you sense water or something?! Just see if there's a drain nearby, or do that thing Mirror Lapis taught you and just get water from the air."

"Goodness. How didn't I think of that." He replied flatly.

"Look, I don't know who pissed in your cereal this morning but GET IT TOGETHER!"

Steven summoned his wings and hopped into the air, not wasting time to flip his middle finger up at her as he climbed higher into the sky. He reached into his quiver, grabbing an explosive arrow and drawing it back through the bow's string. Once it had enough tension, he released the arrow, a smirk forming on his face as a fiery hot explosion caused the slinker to screech.

But, of course, it. Still. Didn't. Poof.

Now, more provoked than ever, the slinker reached a long disgusting tentacle towards Steven, wrapping it around his torso and slamming him into the ground. He was dragged down with a scream, his voice cracking rather ungracefully.

"Steven!" Shouted Amethyst, whipping the tentacle away from Steven.

He coughed roughly, quickly getting back up to his feet. Fazed, he looked down to his arm and gasped. His hoodie sleeve had been ripped off entirely, leaving lightly grazed pale skin exposed.

"Motherfucker!" He exclaimed.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?!" Amethyst rushed over to him, checking his thin body for injuries.

"No! It broke my hoodie, Amethyst!" He pulled it over his head, dumping the broken fabric on the ground. "Now it's personal." 

Amethyst turned around and sighed, running a hand over her face. She paused, looking pensive. 

"What're you thinking?" Muttered Steven. 

"I'm thinking we got distracted and it got away." 

"WHAT?!" 

"You're not listening, you have to evacuate immediately!" 

Arguing with an ignorant man is not how Steven imagined spending his afternoon. He imagined he's be doing some team building exercises with Peridot and Lapis since she moved into the barn, or maybe adding any final touches to the drill. Or maybe, just maybe, relaxing for the first time in almost a year. 

Chasing an irritatingly strong corrupted gem through a High School was NOT one of his plans. 

Yes, you heard correctly, Steven had striked luck as the slinker found its way into the school's drainage system. Hooray. 

"Listen here asshat, I don't care how holier than thou you think you are but we have to get everyone out of here before that monster does any serious damage!" Steven spat, Amethyst baring her whip threateningly behind him. 

"Fine!" The principle caved, causing Steven to sigh in relief. "I'll send an announ-"

Suddenly, a crash. Followed by terrified screams. 

"Oh crap, it's here!" Steven whipped his head around, slamming his hand down on the principle's desk. "Okay, here's the plan; bring all the students into the gymnasium and get them to take cover under the bleachers. There's no time to evacuate- Amethyst and I will take care of the monster." 

The principle nodded, suddenly looking much older than he was. His dark eyes appeared deep and sunken, his hair suddenly looking much whiter. Fingers trembling, he turned on the PA, calling for an immediate evacuation for every student and teacher to the gymnasium. 

Steven and Amethyst nodded to each other, quickly rushing out the room. 

The sound of speakers crackling to life snapped Connie from her daydream. 

"This is an emergency!" It was the principle. "All students and teachers to evacuate to the gymnasium for safety until the threat is neutralised. Two Crystal Gems are working to eliminate the monster, but until then we all need to make our way over in a calm and orderly fashion." 

He continued to give instructions, but Connie didn't care. Two Crystal Gems? A small part of her hoped it was Steven, and she could possibly get another chance to talk to him. They didn't really get to talk after healing his gem... he was too preoccupied with Lapis Lazuli and the other gems, so she just decided to head back home. 

Well, that and the fact that he had quite obviously been blowing her off the whole time she was there. 

She stood from her desk, glancing around at the nervous faces of her classmates. 

Connie sighed, scowling when she spotted Jeff trying to get her attention from the other side of the room. Fighting back the urge to roll her eyes, she just settled with huffing and making it clear she wasn't interested. 

Unfortunately, the silent moment of calm panic didn't last long. 

What, did you forget who was nominated for prom king and queen? 

Before she could even process, dozens of people had swarmed Connie at her desk, a flurry of questions and concerns being thrown at her, each voice drowning each other out in a cacophony of panic and confusion. She held her hands up in an attempt to quiet everyone down, desperately trying to think of a response to try ease everyone out of their panic. 

Fortunately for her, she didn't get the chance to. 

Unfortunately for her, the reason why wasn't exactly ideal. 

A deafening crash sounded throughout the room as something came barreling in through the wall, slamming into the wall on the other side of the room, kicking up dust as debris. The dust quickly settled, revealing a battered and bruised boy picking himself up off the ground, coughing and hacking through the dust. 

"Steven!" Connie exclaimed, barging past the shocked students and helping him to his feet. She cringed at the state of him; his hoodie was gone, and his now dirty black shirt had its sleeve torn off. His dark hair was wild and messy, his pale skin caked in dust and... was that dried blood? What the hell happened to him? 

Connie ignored the awed whispers and gasps from behind her, and focussed on getting a dazed Steven back into action. 

"Steven, what the hell happened?! Is it a corrupted gem? I can help-" 

"No!" He suddenly exclaimed, blushing when he realised how loud he had been. "Amethyst and I have it under control, just get to the gym with everyone else and stay hidden until it's poofed." 

"But you're hurt-" 

"I'm fine! Healing powers, remember?" He poked the space between her eyes playfully. "Just get to safety- I'll escort everyone while Amethyst keeps the slinker occupied." 

From somewhere out in the hall, Amethyst shouted to, and I quote, 'hurry the fuck up, you porcelain bitch.' 

Steven sighed, face palming. 

"Porcelain...?" Connie muttered to herself. "Wait, the fuck is a slinker?" 

"Ugh, I don't have time for this!" Steven groaned loudly, summoning his wings and hopping into the air, getting everyone's attention. "Everyone, follow me or I'll stick an arrow up your nose." 

Amethyst slammed the double doors leading to the gymnasium shut, fumbling to turn the lock, hearing the slinker growling menacingly from the other side. After having successfully transported every student to safety, her and Steven were suddenly at a loss as to what to do next. 

Well... there wasn't much else to do but go out at fight that thing. 

Steven glanced around the crowded hall, cringing at the amount of noise everyone was making. Ugh, since when were people so... loud? He rubbed his temples, sighing irritably. This noise did nothing more than rile up the slinker even more. 

"What do we do now?" Amethyst whisper-shouted to him, distress evident on her face. Steven groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

"It's too loud; I can't think straight." 

Amethyst placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he smiled wearily at her. 

"Any ideas?" He tried, and she looked hopeful for a moment before grimacing. When he mentioned this, she did nothing but scowl harder. 

"I do, but... you're not gonna like it." 

He raised a brow, looking sceptical. 

"I think... I think the only way to beat that thing is, um... we need Kyanite." 

Steven's blood suddenly ran cold, his face growing an unnatural pale. The simple mention of fusing again sent him spiralling- his hands turned clammy, his eyes grew wide, his skin prickled. 

"NO!"

The room quickly fell silent; it was as if someone flipped a switch. He clamped a hand over his mouth, suddenly wishing he could take it back. All eyes were on him, each judgemental stare causing his heart to pound harder and harder, the ringing in his ears becoming louder and louder. His breath hitched in his throat as his frantic eyes glanced about sporadically.

Amethyst was calling his name, but he heard it as if he was still underwater, and she was above the surface. 

It quickly became too much. 

Steven tore open the door, barrelling out into the hallway and slamming the door shut behind him. Amethyst's muffled voice went quiet. 

Everything was suddenly very, very quiet. 

His laboured panting slowed to slow breathing- soon becoming the only sound in the silent chaos. Where was the slinker? Trembling, he stood straight, leaning one hand on the door behind him. 

Steven exhaled. It was fine. He could do this. This was absolutely not the first corrupted gem he'd faced and it wouldn't be the last. 

The hallway was dark, the lack of windows rendering it almost pitch black as the power had gone out. Steven's gem lit up, casting a soft blue glow as he summoned his bow, illuminating his features in the darkness. 

He tread softly across the linoleum, on guard and cautious. His ears perked at even the slightest sound, ready to attack. 

He paused when he heard a noise he wasn't expecting. 

It wasn't difficult to recognise; Steven was no stranger to the sound of crying. It came from the girl's bathroom, muffled through the walls, painfully indiscreet. Hesitantly, he crept over, wincing when the door creaked open. 

His heart leapt into his throat. 

There, leant over the sink, was Elizabeth, blood running from her nose and whimpering like a sick dog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo can i just express how thankful i am that so many people still follow this story?? like my update schedule has been destroyed but you guys still read new chapters and i am so grateful. 
> 
> leave a review, some criticism would be really helpful! i love u all <3 
> 
> also, i am so sorry this took so long! part two will be out tomorrow!


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